A tomato galette that gives the pastry a chance
myAudience · AI-generated food illustration · Original AI-generated illustration; no third-party photograph
Tomatoes are generous with juice, which is wonderful in a salad and harder on pastry. Slice and drain them briefly while the dough chills. A thin ricotta layer and a hot oven help the tart find a balance between a crisp border and a soft, fragrant middle.
For 4 lunch portions, use 200g plain flour; 110g cold unsalted butter, cubed; ¼ teaspoon fine salt; 55–70ml ice-cold water; 450g ripe tomatoes; 150g ricotta; 1 teaspoon thyme leaves; ½ teaspoon lemon zest; 1 tablespoon milk; black pepper; and 6 basil leaves. Contains wheat and milk.
Rub the butter into flour and salt, leaving some small flakes. Add 55ml water and gather into a dough, adding a little more only as needed. Flatten, wrap and chill for 45 minutes. Slice washed tomatoes 5mm thick and leave in a colander for 15 minutes, then pat dry. Stir ricotta with thyme, zest and pepper.
Heat the oven to 210°C conventional/190°C fan. Roll the pastry on lightly floured baking paper into a 32cm circle. Spread ricotta over the centre, leaving a 5cm border. Arrange tomatoes in overlapping layers without pouring on collected juice. Fold the edge inward, brush exposed dough with milk and slide onto a baking sheet. Bake for 40–50 minutes until the crust is golden and its base firm.
Rest for 15 minutes before adding torn basil and slicing. Allow about 2 hours including chilling. The tomatoes need not look identical, but very watery fruit may require longer draining. Refrigerate cooled leftovers promptly and eat within 48 hours. Reheat once in the oven until steaming hot; a microwave softens the pastry.