Irresistible Tomato Goat Cheese Galette: Flaky Semolina Crust & Creamy Filling
Prepare to be absolutely amazed by this Tomato Goat Cheese Galette. Featuring a beautifully flaky semolina tart crust, it’s generously filled with a velvety, creamy goat cheese mixture and then adorned with vibrant, juicy tomatoes and thinly sliced onions. This rustic, free-form tart isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience that marries sophisticated flavors with comforting simplicity.
What if I told you this savory galette tastes remarkably similar to a gourmet pizza, but with an even crispier, flakier crust? Yes, we’re talking about that irresistible combination of tangy cheese, sweet tomatoes, and a perfectly textured base that will have everyone asking for more. Once you try it, you’ll understand why it’s such a crowd-pleaser!
For this exceptional dish, I’ve opted for my signature semolina tart crust. The semolina flour adds a unique texture and subtle nuttiness, reminiscent of a delicious, artisanal pizza crust. However, much like my beloved pizza rustica recipe, this Tomato Goat Cheese Galette would also be absolutely delightful with other pie crust options, such as my vodka pie crust or my classic all-butter pie crust. Each of these crusts guarantees a flaky, buttery foundation that perfectly complements the rich goat cheese filling and the sweet, jammy roasted tomatoes. The key is finding a crust that provides a sturdy yet tender vessel for all the delicious fillings.
While many recipes might suggest simply crumbling goat cheese as the base, we’re taking it a step further to achieve culinary perfection. Our filling is no ordinary goat cheese layer; it’s a silky, light, and incredibly creamy concoction that delivers all the vibrant tang of goat cheese, but with an elevated texture. I’ve thoughtfully seasoned it with fresh thyme and a touch of black pepper to enhance its depth of flavor. Honestly, the mixture is so good, it takes immense self-control not to eat it straight off the spoon! And you absolutely shouldn’t, because it contains an egg, which acts as a crucial binder, ensuring the filling sets beautifully and provides a stable, happy base for your carefully arranged tomatoes. No one wants a loosey-goosey galette!
Why This Is The Best Tomato Goat Cheese Galette You’ll Ever Make
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The Ultimate Flaky Crust: The crust is truly the star of this galette, offering a crucial textural contrast to the soft filling and tender tomatoes. It’s unapologetically buttery, tender, and incredibly flaky. Our chosen pâte brisée provides a structurally sound yet delicate savory base, preventing any dreaded “soggy bottom” disasters. The addition of semolina flour elevates it further, lending a delightful, slightly granular texture that evokes the rustic charm of a wood-fired pizza. Who wouldn’t want that delightful, pizza-like crunch in a galette? It’s the perfect foundation for our gourmet filling.
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The “Better Than Goat Cheese” Filling: Ah, goat cheese – a true culinary love! While a simple crumble is fine, we don’t settle for “fine” here. This recipe features a truly exceptional goat cheese filling that’s silken, remarkably light, and intensely creamy, delivering an unparalleled tangy punch. By blending the goat cheese with heavy cream and a touch of egg, we create a luxurious, spreadable texture that melts in your mouth. Fresh thyme and a hint of pepper are incorporated to add an aromatic depth that perfectly complements the goat cheese’s bright flavor. This isn’t just a filling; it’s an experience in itself.
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Salt Thy Tomatoes – The Secret to No Soggy Bottoms: This is arguably the most critical step in ensuring a flawless galette. Nobody, and I mean nobody (not even that coworker who loved raw pie dough, true story!), wants a soggy galette. Tomatoes naturally contain a lot of water, and if not properly prepared, this moisture can release during baking, turning your beautiful crust into a damp disaster. Our method involves pre-salting the tomatoes and allowing them to rest, which draws out excess moisture through osmosis. I even like to salt them in layers to ensure every slice gets its fair share of seasoning and moisture extraction. This vital step concentrates their flavor, making them intensely sweet and jammy as they roast.
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Perfect Baking for Concentrated Flavor and Crispness: Speaking of avoiding soggy bottoms, baking the galette for the right duration is absolutely essential. The crust needs ample time to fully crisp up and achieve a deep golden brown on the bottom and edges. Simultaneously, the creamy goat cheese filling needs to bake completely, ensuring the egg binder sets and the flavors meld beautifully. Finally, the tomatoes require sufficient time to roast, which intensifies their natural sweetness and transforms them into that irresistible jammy consistency. The visual cues – a deeply browned crust, shrunken and slightly darker tomatoes – are your indicators of a perfectly baked galette, full of concentrated, delicious flavors.
Let’s review our tomato preparation situation in more detail, shall we? Primarily because I took some pretty pictures and I’m excited to share them with you! Tomatoes are the star, and treating them right is key to a superior galette. Getting rid of excess moisture not only prevents a soggy crust but also concentrates their natural sugars, leading to an incredibly rich flavor profile once baked.
The process involves not only pre-salting them but doing so in careful layers. This ensures that the salt uniformly pulls out some of that extra moisture from each individual tomato slice. You’ll layer the sliced tomatoes in a bowl, sprinkling a measured amount of kosher salt between each layer. This method is far more effective than just salting them all at once, guaranteeing an even moisture release and preventing an overly salty final product. Once salted, lay them all out on several layers of paper towels, a cheap but effective insurance policy against a watery galette. Blotting the tops with another paper towel ensures maximum moisture removal, setting the stage for perfectly roasted, flavorful tomatoes.
When it comes to assembly, it’s time to layer up! I strategically overlap the tomato and onion slices a bit because they will naturally shrink as they bake, creating a beautiful, dense layer of flavor. And don’t forget to spread that luscious goat cheese filling all the way out, almost to the edge of where the crust will fold. Think of it as the original gourmet stuffed crust pizza – every bite should be bursting with the creamy tang of goat cheese and the sweet essence of tomato. Mmm, just thinking about pizza makes me hungry for this galette!
Then, it’s time to bake ’em down! You want them to cook all the way to jammy perfection. This means a rich, concentrated tomato flavor, with the edges slightly caramelized and the filling bubbly and set. The baking process transforms simple ingredients into a complex symphony of tastes and textures that is truly irresistible. Patience during this step will be rewarded with a galette that is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat.
Enjoy! This Tomato Goat Cheese Galette is wonderfully versatile and perfectly suited for a myriad of occasions. It’s ideal for a casual summer picnic, elegant enough to be the star of a not-so-casual dinner party, a fantastic addition to any buffet spread, a satisfying light lunch, or even an elevated snack. This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a reputation builder. You will forever be remembered as, “the one who brought that amazing tomato galette.” Its exquisite flavor and impressive presentation make it truly unforgettable.
Tomato Goat Cheese Galette
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Ingredients
- 1 Semolina Pie Crust
- 4 oz Plain Goat Cheese
- 2 tablespoon Heavy Cream
- ½ Egg
- 4 sprigs Thyme
- 1 ½ lbs Heirloom tomatoes any color, any shape, any size!
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ Small red onion
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 Egg for egg wash or just use the other half of your egg from the filling!
Instructions
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Prepare your dough. While that is chilling, start on the fillings.
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Slice the tomatoes about ¼ inch thick. Measure out ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Begin layering tomatoes in a bowl and salting between the layers. Do not use more than the allotted amount of salt, or you run the risk that the final galette topping is too salty.
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Finely slice onions with a knife or on a mandoline. Mine were around 1/16th inch thick. Place with tomatoes. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, prepare the goat cheese filling. This is best made in a food processor, but you could also use a Nutribullet or similar. To make it by hand, soften the goat cheese with the back of a wooden spoon in a bowl, then proceed either with the spoon or with a hand mixer.
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Pulse the goat cheese to break it up, then add the egg and run until smooth. With the machine running, add the heavy cream through the feeder tube and process until smooth and light. Add the fresh thyme leaves and a few cracks of black pepper. Pulse to combine.
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Transfer to a bowl and set aside until the tart is ready to assemble.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F convection or regular.
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When the tart dough has chilled at least 2 hours, roll it out into a circle about an 1/8th inch thick. I rolled mine out in a mixture of semolina and all-purpose flour. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill if it is too warm. It will only need about 10 minutes: you want it to feel cold to the touch but still be pliable so it doesn’t crack when you fold it over.
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Remove the tomatoes from the bowl and place on a baking sheet lined with two layers of paper towels. Blot the top with another paper towel.
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Spread the goat cheese filling over the crust, leaving about an inch of buffer. Layer tomatoes and onions, overlapping slightly. Cut some of the tomatoes in half to get them all the way to the edge of the filling. No bite without tomatoes!
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Make egg wash: whisk or shake the remaining half egg from your filling until loose and fully homogeneous.
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Fold the edges over the filling, crimping slightly to keep the circle. I seal the folded-over parts with the egg wash, but this isn’t necessary. Brush the edges with egg wash, sprinkle with semolina.
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Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown, the tops of the tomatoes have begun to brown, and the tomatoes look shrunken and slightly darker in color.
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Serve at room temperature or straight from the oven! Your call.
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Before You Go: Explore More Chef-Tested Recipes!
I genuinely hope you enjoyed crafting and savoring this professional chef-tested recipe for the ultimate Tomato Goat Cheese Galette. Its delightful flavors and textures are sure to impress. If you’re eager to continue your culinary journey, I invite you to explore our other delicious, chef-developed dinner recipes, which promise to bring gourmet quality to your home kitchen. For instance, why not try our fantastic pepperoni pizza recipe for another comforting and flavorful meal? Happy cooking!
