This is the baking recipe I wait all year to make. Heirloom Tomato Galettes are my absolute favorite thing to bake. Nothing compares to thick slices of juicy, tart, perfectly ripe tomatoes wrapped in crispy, buttery pastry crust.
Recipe highlights
- Tomato bliss. In my opinion, this is the single best thing to make with your prized tomatoes. These galettes are the perfect way to showcase their glory.
- Flaky pie crust. Buttery, flaky, crispy homemade pie dough, sprinkled with parmesan and baked until golden brown.
- Simple perfection. We’re keeping things simple here in order to let the flavor of the tomatoes be the star of the show.
Ingredients needed
Pie dough. Flour, sugar, salt, butter, and water is really all you need for the perfect pie dough! I highly recommend you make homemade pie dough for this recipe.
Tomatoes. Really, really good tomatoes. Use your favorite type of tomatoes for these tarts (I like to use several). Here are some of my favorite heirloom tomato varieties:
- Pineapple, Gold Medal, and Striped German (big meaty yellow tomatoes with red marbling)
- Green Zebra (green tomatoes with dark green zebra stripes – so cute!)
- Black Krim, Cherokee Purple (large, sweet dark red tomatoes)
- Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine (meaty dark pink tomatoes that grow BIG)
Bread crumbs & cornmeal. We’ll add some bread crumbs and cornmeal to the bottom of the tarts to help soak up the extra juices. I use Panko, but you could use traditional bread crumbs here too. Cornmeal should be fine ground.
Parmesan. A bit of freshly grated parmesan adds a nice additional savory flavor.
Basil. I use a pinch of dried basil for the bottom of the tarts (optional) and sprinkle the galettes with some chopped fresh basil when they come out of the oven. This little pop of fresh, bright flavor goes a long way.
Egg wash. This is optional, but brushing the galette dough with egg wash before baking helps them to develop that beautiful golden brown sheen.
Tomato galette tips
This recipe involves two things that I’m very opinionated and passionate about: tomatoes and pie crust. So, I have some strong thoughts on how to make these little tarts.
Use the best tomatoes you can find. Ideally, they come from your garden or local farmers market so that they’re picked at the height of ripeness. You want large, flavorful, meaty heirloom tomatoes for this. I like to use a combination of tomatoes so the galettes are super colorful.
Make your own pie dough. Homemade pie crust will make these tomato galettes 1000% more tasty. I have some homemade pie dough tips here.
Add a little dry mix. I always add a little sprinkle of dry mix to the bottom of my galettes. This combination of flour, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, and parmesan helps to soak up extra juices from the tomatoes and prevent the galettes from being soggy.
Don’t worry about perfection. Galettes are supposed to be rustic. Don’t worry too much about making them all perfect and identical.
Freeze the galettes before baking. This is a must! I recommend popping your tomato galettes in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before baking, until chilled and firm. This helps them to hold their shape in the oven.
Recipe variation
Instead of making individual galettes, you could make one large galette. Simply roll the pie dough into one large, rough circle (about ¼ inch thick). Add the dry mix on top, leaving a two-inch border around the edges. Layer with tomatoes and fold up the edges.
Freeze until firm and then bake until bubbly and golden. Baking time will be longer for one large galette, so adjust your baking time accordingly.
Storing & serving
I like to serve tomato galettes warm from the oven, but they’re also great cold. These galettes can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but they’ll lose their crispiness after the first day.
The galettes make a great light summer dinner, served with a fresh green salad. They’re also a delicious breakfast, especially if you add a fried egg on top!
You can reheat the tomato galettes by popping them on a baking sheet in a 375° F oven until warm.
If you’re a fan of this recipe, be sure to check out my other savory bakes!
Did you make these Heirloom Tomato Galettes? I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below! Thank you so much!
Heirloom Tomato Galettes
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces cold butter, diced
- 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, (optional)
- 1/4 cup cold water, (more or less as needed)
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk or water
Tomato Galettes
- 3 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon fine cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- About 1 pound of ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped fine
- Extra grated parmesan for crust, (optional)
Instructions
For the pie crust:
- Mix dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add water and vinegar one tablespoon at a time, slowly incorporating until mixture starts to form a shaggy mass. Pour onto lightly floured surface and fold gently until it all comes together. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
For the egg wash:
- Whisk egg and milk together; set aside.
For the tomato galettes:
- Combine breadcrumbs, flour, cornmeal, parmesan, and dried basil in a small bowl. Slice tomatoes.
- Roll pie dough out until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 5-6 inch rounds or squares (I like to trace a tupperware lid to make the rounds). Alternatively, you could make one large galette.
- Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumb mixture onto each pie dough round, smoothing it out and leaving some space around the edges where you'll fold the dough up. Place slices of tomato on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Fold dough up around edges, creating a pie dough border. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle edges with more parmesan.
- Freeze galettes for 20-30 minutes, until chilled and firm – this will help them hold their shape when they bake.
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Bake tarts until crust is golden and tomatoes are bubbling, about 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes; sprinkle with fresh basil.
Notes
Did you try this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment below!
