In my journey as a home cook, I would love nothing more than to become a skilled pie maker. But I just don’t think it’s in the cards for me—I can’t crimp a crust to save my life. I can, however, make a killer filling and roll out pie dough into a circular-ish shape. And that’s all I need to be able to do to make a galette.
ATK Kids
If You Think Pie Is Too Fussy, Try a Galette
It’s less work—but just as delicious.
By Published Mar. 10, 2022
If crimping cramps your style (as it does mine), a galette might also be the solution to your pie-making anxieties.
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A free-form, single-crust pie, the galette does not want to be perfect. It’s OK with being a little rough around the edges—it’s part of the dessert’s rustic charm! That’s why it was a natural fit for ATK Kids’ latest cookbook for teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teen Chefs, which is packed with recipes for teens of all skill levels and dessert-making abilities.
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The Complete Cookbook for Teen Chefs
Whether looking to make a TikTok–worthy giant cookie or simply learn the basic cooking techniques to get started in the kitchen, this teen-approved cookbook has something for everyone.Buy Now
So why is a galette less stressful to make than pie? To shape it, all you have to do is pile your filling in the center of some rolled-out pie dough and fold the border of the dough up and over the edge of the filling. Pleats not identical? Fine! Dough tears a bit? Not the end of the world.
Then, forgo the pie plate and bake it right on a parchment-lined baking sheet until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is nicely browned. If the juices leak, that’s OK too—they’ll turn into caramelized deliciousness right on the baking sheet.
Ready to make your own? Here’s how to shape a galette. Even with a crack here or a leak there, it will wow everyone with its bold fruit flavor and rustic beauty—and I promise they won’t miss the pie.
1. Roll dough into 12-inch circle. Scrape filling into center of dough. Spread into even layer, leaving 2-inch border.
2. Fold 2-inch border up and over edge of filling, but do not press dough into filling.
3. Continue folding, overlapping folds of dough every 2 inches, until you get all the way around galette.