Butternut Squash Galette
During the shortest days of the year, I made a butternut squash galette. Twice, actually - once in the Bay Area, and again the day after Christmas back home in Nashville. "Sunshine for Your Solstice Table," the Edible East Bay cover promised.The first attempt started with confidence. Homemade crust, gluten-free flour, the squash already waiting on the counter. But the dough wouldn’t cooperate. It crumbled in my hands, refused to bind, no matter how many times I tried.I drove to the store and came home with two things: regular flour and a store-bought crust. Insurance, I told myself. A backup plan.Back in the kitchen, both sat on the counter. The easy answer and the uncertain one. I stared at them for a long moment.Then I started over.Flour, olive oil, salt, ice water. This time, it came together. I let it rest while I sliced the squash paper-thin with my mandoline, arranged each piece into a careful rose pattern.When it came out of the oven – golden, crispy, perfect – that unopened store-bought crust was still sitting there. A quiet witness to the choice I’d made.There’s something about the shortest day of the year that asks us to work with what we have, to trust the process even when we can’t see the whole picture, to choose the harder path when we know it’s the right one.The galette became sunshine on the table, just as promised. Not because everything went smoothly, but because I stayed with it.Want the deeper story about what this taught me about listening to yourself in the new year?
Equipment
- mandoline slicer or food processor
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flower
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6-7 tbsp ice water
For the Filling
- 2 Ibs butternut squash
- 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
- 1 clove garlic
- thyme or sage chopped
- salt to taste
Garnishes
- bondolio mandarin orange olive oil or other co-milled citrus olive oil of choice. OR plain olive oil with a splash of fresh mandarin juice.
- thyme or sage leaves fresh or dried
- sea salt
Instructions
To make the crust
- Mix 2 cups flour with the sea salt in a medium bowl. In a smaller bowl (or large glass measuring cup), whisk together the olive oil with 6 tablespoons ice water. Pour into the flour mixture and combine with a fork, mixing just until the dough almost comes together. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour plus the additional tablespoon of ice water, if needed and gather and press the dough until it comes together. Form into a disc shape. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
To prepare the squash
- Peel the squash. (Microwave for 3-4 minutes to make it easier to peel.) Cut off the bulbous bottom portion and set aside for another use. Cut off the stem end and stand up the neck of the squash vertically on a cutting board. Use a large, sharp knife to divide it from top to bottom in 2 half-round sections. Using a mandolin and following all safety instructions, slice each half into very thing half rounds. Choose your best slices to use in the galette and reserve the rest.
To roll out the dough
- Place dough on a flour-dusted pastry board. Roll, turning frequently and continuing to dust with flour on both sides. Roll out to 12-14 inch diameter, about 1/4-1/8 inch thick. Roll up on the pin and unroll onto a silicone mat or parchment paper placed on the back of a half-size sheet pan.
To make the galette
- Preheat oven to 375 F as you mix goat cheese with minced garlic and herbs plus a little salt (if needed)as you mix goat cheese. Spread cheese thinly on the dough leaving the outer inch of dough free of cheese. Starting along the outer edge of the cheese, layer the butternut squash pieces in a spiral like you are forming a rose: Each slice should overlap the previous slice and each ring should overlap the previous ring as you spiral inward. Keep the pieces tight!Carefully fold the rim of dough in on itself so it's barely touching the squash and pinch the dough to resemble a rope shape. Drizzle the tart with co-milled olive oil and salt to taste. Bake for 75-80 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with a knife. About halfway thought baking, cover the tart with aluminum foil.Before serving, drizzle the tart with olive oil. Garnish with herbs.
Notes
Squash notes: Choose the butternut squash with the longest and narrowest neck, since that's the part you will use for the galette. There are plenty of delicious uses for the unused portions - in soups, stews, bowls, etc.
Flour note: I tested this with gluten-free all-purpose flour and it didn't hold together. The original all-purpose flour is essential for structure here.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
