The Perfect Crust

Cold, rainy days used to mean lounging around in fuzzy socks, reading, or catching up on daytime TV. But now I have a kid, rain means one thing: we are stuck inside All. Day. To help appease the restless family, I thought this was the ideal morning to not only use up some produce before we go out of town for Thanksgiving, but also bake, which is something I don’t get to do near enough. While I love a pristine pie, my favorite go-to crust and filling combo is a gallet. A gallet is basically a more rustic version of a pie or tart that is just as warm, flaky and delicious but much less of a hassle. I also thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share my pie dough recipe.  So say sorry to the cute little dough man on the package and skip the store bought crust because in the time it takes to run up to the store, you will already have two crusts resting in the fridge, waiting to be rolled out.

As for my crust I use, I started mashing up a couple of different recipes several years ago and eventually came up with this product that has never failed me once. The real secret to getting the flawless flaking is ice cold vodka.. Unlike water, vodka doesn’t promote the development of gluten so the crust stays nice and soft. In addition, it stays cold longer than water which helps keep the butter solid for a longer period of time, also adding to the flakiness.  And don’t worry, the alcohol cooks out and is completely tasteless. This is why vodka is used and not some other liquor that would leave behind an undesirable flavor. So even if you aren’t a drinker, go buy a small bottle of the cheap stuff and keep it around for your baking needs. White vinegar also keeps the gluten strands from getting too long ensuring a soft dough. (water can also be used in place of the vodka and your crust will still be plenty tasty but definitely don’t skip the vinegar if you aren’t using vodka) 

**All liquid should be kept as cold as possible, along with the butter. This is to keep the butter as solid for as long as possible.**

**As I mentioned in my banana bread/quick bread post, while baking, measuring must be exact to ensure a good final product. Spiced Brown Butter Banana Bread

Below I will list my dough recipe, instructions for the gallets and then 4 filling options!

Perfect Pie Dough/Gallets 

Tools needed:

·         Large bowl

·         Measuring cup

·         Measuring spoons

·         Large spoon (wooden or silicone works best)

·         Plastic wrap

·         Pastry brush

·         Small bowl

·         Fork for beating

Ingredients:

1.   2 ½ Cups All Purpose flour (measured exactly)
2.   1 teaspoon salt (2 teaspoons if you use coarse salt)
3.    1 ½  Tablespoons sugar
4.    16 tablespoons (2 sticks) very cold butter (I keep it in the freeze while I’m preparing the other ingredients)
5.    ¼ cup ice cold vodka
6.    ¼ cup very cold water (plus a little more if your dough feels too dry)
7.   1 Tablespoon white vinegar
8.   1 egg yolk
9.   1 tablespoon milk

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar and stir very well.
2.  Dice the butter by slicing the sticks into 8ths and then into cubes
   
3. Toss the diced butter with the flour mixture and then using your hands, squish the butter into smaller pieces, making sure it’s all well coated.
   
4. Mix the vodka, water and vinegar together in a measuring cup and slowly drizzle into the bowl, stirring as you go. **if the dough comes together before you use all the liquid that’s fine, if you feel like you need a little more, add one tablespoon cold water at a time until you reach your desired texture. Remember, this dough is very flaky and not overly wet or mushy***
   
5.  Once the dough has mostly come together, ditch the spoon and use your hands to finish the job.
6.   Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape into disks, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to 2 days.
   
7.  Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out. This dough can be used in pie pans, tart pans or folded for a rustic gallet 

  
To make the gallet:
(for the small fruit gallets I divided one disk into three sections and for the large squash gallet I used an entire disk)
1.  Roll out the dough into a circle. (don’t worry about it being perfect, in fact  uneven edge gives it even more of a rustic feel)  The crust should be thin, but still hearty enough to fold up and over the filling

2.  Place the dough on a baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment or a non-slip baking mat 

3.Starting in the center of the round and working out, add your filling 

4.Trim any excess dough and start folding the dough over the outer- edge of the filling. There should be a 1-2 inch boarder depending on the size of the round.  You can make the folds as large or tight as you wish. (the center filling of the gallet should be exposed after folding)

5. Beat the egg yolk and milk together and brush liberally over the crust.

6. Bake until the crust is a beautiful golden brown. Depending on the size of your gallet this could be anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes

Allow to cool about 15 minutes before diving in!

My Gallet Fillings:

Squash and Onion:

1. Slice an onion in half and thinly slice into half moons

2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Toss onion slices in oil and slowly cook until soft. The last few minutes of cooking, stir in a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.

3. Cut a delicata squash in half, remove seeds and thinly slice into half moons

4.In a bowl mix together, 1/3 Cup ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons chopped herbs of your choice

5.Spread the ricotta mixture in the center of the rolled out dough.

6.Spread the onions over the ricotta cheese

7.Layer the sliced squash over onions and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

8. Fold edges over and brush with egg mixture

9.Bake for an hour, rotating as needed for even browning

Pear and Honey

1. Peel and thinly slice 2 pears

2. In a bowl toss pears with 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon almond extract,2 tablespoons honey,2 tablespoons cubed butter

3. Layer in center of gallet dough before folding edges over

4. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown

Apple Cinnamon

1. Peel and thinly slice 2 apples

2. In a bowl toss apples with 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons cubed butter

3. Layer in center of gallet dough before folding edges over

4. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown
 

Persimmon Ginger

1.Thinly slice 4 persimmons (remove skin if it’s tough)

2.Toss persimmons with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger

3. Layer in center of gallet dough before folding edges over

4. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown

Make it yours! As far as gallet fillings go, you are only limited to your imagination. Use any sweet or savory pie or tart filling you love for a rustic and stress- free baked treat!