butternut squash and caramelized onion galette
We headed upstate last year for the weekend and stayed at the most sigh-worthy B&B–where every window is ringed with tiles of stained glass and a man named Richard makes you amaretto-brushed French toast on Sundays–and made a point to get back there this year. Of course, its hard to predetermine when fall will peak; last year, we felt that we were a week too late, this year, we went a week earlier and felt that we were two weeks early. I hear an 80-degree October will do that.
Nonetheless, I have a whole new appreciation for early fall. I used to eschew its predominantly green cast and lack of ta-da shrubbery, but now I really get its charm: how else will a few superstars stand out?
I think I spent a good half of the weekend coming up with new recipes, to the point that I’d start with a “what do you think of a blahblahingredientblah?” and Alex would say “write that down, too!” until the list was long and I simply couldn’t wait to get home, which actually brings us to 3:30 a.m. Wednesday when my flight from the business trip I squeeeezed in touched down.
Ever since I posted about the wild mushroom and stilton galette last year, I have been angling to come up with a new filling for it. I wish I could tell you how many hours I have pondered alternative fillings, but then you would know what a hapless nerd I am and I try to pipe down about that. But I can stop contemplating it because this is it– caramelized onion, sage and butternut squash with “stinky cheese” (according to my original note). This free-form tart is just the embodiment of fall to me: weightier than a tomato tart, lighter than a thousand mushroom quiche and absolutely glorious with a good, rich stout.
Now, I wasn’t trying to recreate the filling because I disliked the old one–oh, heck no–it was because I am obsessed with the galette dough. It’s just one of those doughs that comes together so perfectly every single time–stretchy and smooth, dense and cold but never brittle–it begs to be used again and again. I want to stud it with coarse sugar and fill it with sweetened apples and whole cranberries. I want to fold it into half a dozen empanadas. But mostly, I just want you to make one of these and one of the wild mushroom stilton variety and bring them to your next dinner party, reveling in all of the delicious things that have brought you back indoors again.
Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette
For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water
For the filling:
1 small butternut squash (about one pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons butter (if you have only non-stick, the smaller amount will do)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3/4 cup fontina cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), grated or cut into small bits
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1. Make pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.
4. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.
5. Assemble galette: On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.
6. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.
Ooh, I saw these pictures on Flickr and hoped that my new Google Reader item was the write-up! Woo hoo! I commend you on seeking out the early fall despite this ridiculous weather we’ve been having. Fall’s tardiness is so irritating because I know it means the leaves will just crumple and fall before winter sets in. Mother Nature, you owe me!
Oh, this looks divine! I love galettes because they are so forgiving – no need for perfect circles. I have an abundance of sage in my garden this year, so I think I’ll definitely use some for this.
Looks magnificent, and perfect for that lovely squash sitting on the counter at home. But I have to ask you, Deb, what’s the best way to peel a butternut? I’ve found in the past that the skin (rind?) is so tough I end up with a battered squash and battered fingers.
Ooh, yummy! One question — if I want to attempt this for a dinner party tomorrow night, can I make the dough and filling tonight and assemble and bake it all tomorrow, or will the dough not work if it sits in the fridge overnight? For all that I bake, I don’t have a ton of experience with pastry dough….
Even though the autumn where I live isn’t quite as beautiful as the one in your pictures, I still love it – and I love caramelised onions so maybe this recipe will sneak into my kitchen this weekend. It’s welcome if it brings a bottle of wine.
I roast chunks of butternut squash, mash with a fork and stir, and mix in Asiago cheese at the end. It’s really salty and cuts the sweetness in a good way. It’s my favorite fall food.
I had something awesome at a cafeteria a couple of years ago, though; diced sweet potatoes roasted with a little olive oil and jerk seasoning. I will never forget how good the mix of sweet-hot was!
Beautiful Fall photos. That butternut squash is making me hungry, looks delicious.
RA — Chin up! I don’t think the temperatures are plunging just yet, so maybe there is hope that we’ll have a real fall. I didn’t mind the warm fall so far, but I will be bummed if we go right into ski coat weather. Not ready to hibernate yet!
xsquared — Indeed they are. They’re the perfect oh-I-just-threw-this-together-at-last-last-minute showoff dish.
Carolyn — I actually use a sharp vegetable peeler. (If you have a y-peeler, though I don’t, I bet they’d be great for this.) First, I peel it twice. The first peeling removes the skin and unveils some green veins. The second one gets you down to the solid orange layer. Then, I cut it halfway, severing the neck and bulb-round part. For the top half, I cut a little bevel down the side, so it lays flat when I am trying to cube it, and go from there. On the bottom half, I halved it top to bottom, scoop out all the seeds (these are every bit as good as pumpkin seeds when toasted, I think), and finish chopping from there.
Oh, and a really sharp knife, especially a big chefs knife, helps a ton.
Kristin — I would certainly think so. If you have a chance to bring the filling to room temperature before you assemble it, it might even be better. Otherwise, you might have to add a little baking time. The idea is to get the crust and filling lightly browned.
theysaysilenceisgold — It’s true; fall is just a little bit prettier away from the city.
Celesta — Asiago is a great idea. For people who don’t like the seriously funkiness of fontina, I bet asiago would be a great swap. I was actually looking for a good Indian-spiced butternut curry, something I hope to try my hand at soon. I agree that the spicy/sweet is the best contrast. (I like it far more than a lot of dishes that seem to sweeten it up.)
That looks so awesome. I am making this next week, and no one else will like it, and so I will get to eat it ALL MYSELF. Ah, bliss.
your blog is fantastic definitely a feast for the eyes and tummy.
I can’t wait to make this! A trip to the Farmer’s Market is now in order.
I have a butternut squash sitting on my counter. And I have pie crust in the fridge. So I may make it with that. And try the other crust soon, cause it sounds delicious.
Wow, what colors in those photos….fall is here!! I love the galette, too – onions are the best (I actually posted a recipe with caramelized onions today, too!) Great fall recipe. :)
Deb, I sorta have a girl crush on you. I made your tangy cabbage salad as a side to some vegetarian crabcakes the other night. The Boyfriend says to add more serrano peppers next time though, we like things spicy. I love your vegetarian focus because I only cook vegetarian at home (keeps costs down coupled with complete and total fear of cooking meat without killing someone so it’s always overdone and just tastes bad).
Anywho, since I’ve already given away my location with the crabcakes, have you ever had Virginia peanut soup of the super rich creamy variety? It’s the perfect fall dish. I have no idea how to make it but I feel like you will! Ha, thanks for your amazing site!
Silly as it is, I’ve always kinda thought of tarts as dessert-only…with this recipe I can’t wait to tuck into one for dinner!
Totally know what you mean about fall. What gets me is the scent of it–when I step outside and smell that crisp fall air for the first time I get this unbidden grin on my face.
Deb, this is gorgeous! I’ve already sent the link to your site to my Mom letting her know that’s the savory dish I’ll be bringing. Now I just need to decide on the sweet. :)
Thanks, as always, for impressing the heck out of me with your cooking.
I love the rustic appearance of freeform tarts. It’s as if the filling is snuggled up in a big pastry blanket, which is probably why I’m always itching to make them when the weather gets cool.
Too bad I just made a savory tart to bring for lunch this week. I’m quite tarted out at the moment but I hope that will soon pass so I can make your delicious-looking creation!
If you are interested in the curry/squash intersection, we make this squash curry soup all the time in the winter for a super simple weeknight dinner.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001525.html
I’m sure you could do something glorious with it!
Thank you for your beautiful blog.
just perfect
again
if only i’d get past the dough phobia…
Ooh, I’ve got a butternut squash sitting on my kitchen counter too! And now he’s found a home….thank goodness, because I was about to do some freestyle experimenting with linguine and sage, and that might have been a disaster.
“mull over all of its cider”…I love your writing, Deb. So witty and thoughtful.
Why am I just now finding your site? I actually thought to myself this morning when I stop for milk on the way home, I’m going to get a butternut squash. But then I worried I wouldn’t have a way to make it other than the usual roasting, add brown sugar and butter. You have saved my butternut squash from its previously likely fate of rotting…it looks delicious! I can’t wait to go through your archives.
Yum!
I love fall too! My favorite season!
Caramelized onions? I’m there!
Mmmmm, I cannot wait to make this. I adore galettes. I’d never had one until I met my boyfriend; his mother was a pastry chef at the time, and I think the happy beginning to our relationship was more than a little facilitated by the untold number of plum, peach, strawberry and nectarine galettes that slid out of her oven. And now that said boyfriend and I have subscribed to a CSA this will be a welcome addition to our repetoire. Thank you!
This looks amazing – I will definitely be making this with the asiago cheese!
oh man, this looks fantastic. I wonder if you have any ideas for a diary free version of the filling. I know you can get a cheesish flavour with nutritional yeast, but that seems the wrong direction for the funkyness of fontina. Any thoughts?
I’ve got delicata squash and leeks — I bet those will work too. But most of all, I can’t wait to try this pastry, first in a sweet version. I’ve got apples and plums and the last of the raspberries — and just enough time to get myself into galette mode before we head off on our own autumnal jaunt to Vermont next week.
Hi Deb,
I have never commented but I have been lurking for many months, checking in almost every day for your fantastic pictures, funny stories and great recipes. I read a lot of food blogs (don’t we all?) but yours is always the one that compels me to actually make the recipe. Your barley salad is the best, really, I make it every other week and eat giant servings all the while telling myself how “healthy” it is : ) Anyway, last night was the first time any blog actually had me running to the store directly after work because I…had…to…have….this…galette!!! And it was everything I had hoped, can’t wait for the leftovers! Thanks!
Oh, one more thing, we would have eaten the entire thing except for the fact that I knew the recipe and couldn’t knowingly consume an entire stick of butter (with my husband), at a restaurant it would have been gone for sure! Does this happen to anyone else?
You say caramelized onion and I say yes! You say galette and I say, yes again! And the butternut squash? That just seals the deal. Thanks, deb.
That MUST come out of my oven this weekend. I agree with Polinium…a trip to the Farmer’s Market is in order!
That looks AMAZING. I think I’ll make it for Sunday supper! I also love butternut squash in a lasagna.
Deb—Gorgeous photos, of fall and the food. This sounds excellent! Regarding the food shots, are these window light or are you managing to get such nice soft lighting with artificial light? With it getting dark earlier, my last couple of posts, I’ve been racing the clock—and the setting sun—to use window light. Guess I’m going to have to refine my artificial lighting skills.
Gaile — I’m entirely unfamiliar with non-dairy cheeses (perhaps someone else will pipe up) but you could certainly omit the cheese if it is not for you.
Terry B — Actually, I have all but given up on natural light (shh). The first year I had this site, I’d have the tripod and the remote switch and everything all set up so I could take available light photos in the evening, and honestly, hated every one of them. They were never sharp enough and I could never scrub the yellowish tint with them. Then I bought Alex and Speedlite flash (Canon 430EX, I think) for his birthday and I have never feared evening photos again. The light is amazing and you can tilt it any which way. Not as lovely as daytime, but ten times better than (at least my) previous evening pictures. Really, one of the best camera purchases we’ve made.
Deb . . . you’re photos continue to get more and more inspiring. Fabulous job!
I’ve been an avid reader of your blog, but this is my first comment!
I wanted to share a trick to shorten onion-caramelizing time- I read it somewhere in a magazine- which is to microwave sliced onions before sauteing.
Yes, your microwave will smell like onions for a couple of days, but if you are making tons of caramelized onions, it’s a nice trick for lazy cooks!
You have inspired me. Okay, how many times can I say that to you before you get sick of it? But, I’ll let you know when done. It combines this post (squash) and your last post (dessert bars). I’m off to bake!
Thanks, Deb. I’m intrigued that you’re getting such soft light from a flash. I actually have an umbrella reflector that I used to use with a flash in my old film days. I’ve used it with tungsten light as well. I can adjust for the warmish tungsten balance; it’s just that the shadows are often harsh. Think I’ll have to experiment with getting it closer to the subject.
Oh I love ‘fall’. It’s definitely my favourite season. I’m from Australia and we call it autumn!
Your galette looks fantastic!
Just as your apple and cranberry pate brisee inspired me to take on Ina’s apple crostata for the first time, this has truly inspired me to “go savory” with the pate brisee and serve it for dinner. what a wonderful fallish idea – thanks so much!! :)
I’d love to make this (and I’m new to your site and love it) and wondering if I can make the dough w/ just a fork to cut the butter in? I do not have a pastry blender.
Thanks.
Deb, I just pulled this out of the oven and I’m eating a big slice…it’s SO good! My first dough, too!
I made this and your tasty tomato soup for dinner tonight. Both were AMAZING. I’ll admit to having some trouble, and though I won’t go into the whole tragic story about the collapse of my dough shell I will share the following: if the structure of your galette disintegrates and you’re upset and contemplating throwing it away – DON’T! Just scoop it up, toss it in a 9×9 Pyrex pan, spread the dough and goodies as evenly as possible, and bake it as normal. Soooo good. Maybe I’ll have pastry perfection next time, but if not, who cares? Still yummy!
Oh, and I sprinkled ground sage over the mix instead of fresh and used mozzarella instead of fontina if anyone’s looking for easy and convenient subs.
Deb, since I’m a tinkerer, trying to eat gluten free, and didn’t have all the ingredients you called for, I riffed on your recipe, making a dough from chickpea flour and dotting the tart with ricotta. Here’s the recipe, if you’re interested. http://bipolarlawyercook.blogspot.com/2007/10/gluten-free-roasted-squash-caramelized.html
This is in my oven right now. I don’t even like winter squash, but every fall I think I will. This might be the dish that cures me of my inexplicable pickiness! The smell wafting around my kitchen is sure delicious.
Deb – fun site. Love it.
Question – what kind of onions would you recommend in this tart?
Hi Katey — I think I used just big yellow ones, but white would work as well. I bet the Spanish onions would caramelize nicely, too–so you can’t go wrong!
What a perfect recipe for fall! If my sage hadn’t died in the last three weeks from lack of water/attention/time and if I had an oven I think I’d make it tonight. Alas, baking anything will have to wait until back to living on land and not in a sailboat. Speaking of baking and free-form goodies…has anyone tried the Rustic Grape Tart from Cooking Light? It’s divine and the cornmeal in the crust gives it just a perfect bite. Great website Deb, I’m hopelessly hooked.
Now that I’ve found a way to peel squash without destroying my hands, I will definitely be giving this a try :).
This is a great recipe-the best crust I’ve ever had! I used my food processor for the dough and it turned out great (and fast!). In the future I might increase the filling to crust ratio a little. I’ve really been enjoying your blog since I discovered it a few months ago. One request: when you post your beautiful pictures to Flickr could you include larger versions (ie 1024×768)? I’d love to use them as desktops for my laptop.
I made this for dinner on Saturday night for some folks and it was a raging success. Nice work Attorney SK.
This is fabulous. I have a squash waiting for a use. I think this galette is in my future! Thanks!
i have yet to buy my first squash of the season, but when i do, this will be the first recipe i try. it looks incredible!
Oh thanks for sharing. This recipe I am just dying to try for my dinner party this weekend. Hope it turns out as great as yours does….Di
deb, i know you must know deborah madison’s “vegetarian cooking for everyone”. it is my bible. this reminds me of her butternut squash onion sage gratin. but, i suppose, a gallette rather than a gratin. it sounds delicious. i’m going to have to try it. i have a feeling the crust may change my life.
I made this last night & it turned out fantastic! I swapped greek-style low fat yogurt for the sour cream. I was also very lazy & didn’t bother with all the freezing & chilling of the dough. I think next time I’ll cut the butter down a bit and proceed with the lazy crust development. My crust was delicious & flake-y (albeit there was butter melting all around but who doesn’t love a lot of butter, right?). Thanks for such an interesting combo of flavors – i love how the cayenne builds up slowly. Fantastic.
This looks so good. If I wanted to make this ahead of time and refrigerate it for a few hours after step 5, do you think it would still turn out?
Kendra — I might refrigerate it before step 5, if you think you can. Instead, I would keep the dough and filling separate, and put it together just before you bake it. If it’s not an option, give the other a try. I don’t think it should flop, just be less ideal than the other option. Let us know how you do with it! I’m sure others will appreciate your input.
Deb, I read your blog regularly and look forward to it, but don’t always get around to making the recipes, but this one took me over the edge. I made this last night and it was the best thing that I have made in months and I cook and bake like a mad woman! I short cut on the pastry by not freezing and using the food processor. The pastry was light and flaky and the filling was devine! During dinner all we could say was Ummmm and this is the best thing. I have told everyone I come in contact with about this recipe and your blog, of course. Thanks for something to look forward to. You are the best!
ack…there are mushrooms in the directions but not in the recipe….that’s just wrong, right?
Yes, that is. I will fix!
I made a version of this yesterday, and it turned out fabulous. After years of unmanageable, leaky galette dough, this one is going to change my life. This dough is OUTSTANDING, even after my lazy changes. I didn’t freeze anything and made it a la pate brise in the Cuisinart in five minutes — just pulse butter into dry until biggest pieces are like peas, then pour in wet mixture in two batches and pulse only till combined. Flaky, buttery, tender, and SO easy to work with. Yay Deb for sharing this one!
Thank you so much for this recipe! The crust is simply fantastic. I love how easy it is to work with (once you overcome the initial challenge of blending frozen flour and butter without a pastry cutter), and the way the top layers shatters into cruchy golden bits when cut after baking. Its almost like a top layer of a really good croissant. And the way you peel the squash is great! All the guests at my girl’ night dinner requested the recipe :)
Love you blog and your cooking,
Madina
oh heavens this was good!! i was really looking forward to making this and was not at all disappointed. the crust was to-die-for and the filling was awesome…for lack of a better word. thanks so much for sharing this with us! here’s the post in my blog about it: http://thecookingfiend.blogspot.com/2007/10/butternut-squash-and-caramelized-onion.html
Hi Deb! I just had to tell you I made this for dinner tonight and I absolutely loved it! Everything about it was just incredible; the filling, the squash, the crust, everything! Thanks so much for the recipe!
hmm. I made this– filling gets an A+ but the dough turned out more like grandma’s cellulite combined with what my childhood neighbor threw up after eating cottage cheese. ick. not sure what I did wrong, as it seemed to work for everyone else.
Hey Deb, I don’t really know how I have survived until now without you. Anyway, I just made this with a pate brisee i had in the freezer (!) and even though I was a bit short on dough and long on cheese, it was still utterly delicious and really really pretty too.
This was fabulous! I highly recommend adding some roasted garlic. I also substituted a fontina/asiago cheese blend that worked very nicely. Yummy, yummy!
Hey Deb,
Just wanted to let you know that I made the galette and it was the biggest hit of our Thanksgiving feast.
Here’s my post and film about the making of the galette:
http://hereandthere123.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-thanksgiving-favorite-smitten.html
Oh, Deb – this looks amazing! I have all of these ingredients fresh from the produce stand today and I plan to make this weekend. I LOVE your recipes, girl.
Also, linked to your spot on Martha ( I don’t watch TV like ever, but I had to see the clip) and you were great! Very suave and much more personable than the other ladies. Knew you would be. ;) Thanks!
This was good with pumpkin but the flavor of the pumpkin was a bit lost. I used parm, brie, and goat cheese. I’ll have to try it with squash next time. Thanks!
I made this last night for my sister-in-law’s birthday dinner. I made two, as there were four people and it was the main dish. I am so impressed! It was the perfect blend of, well everything! And it was my first time making pastry, too. It came out beautifully. I paired it with a simple spinach salad, and had planned for a blackberry crumble for dessert. Only problem was, we were all so full, for so long, the crumble sits uneaten in my fridge. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I made this recipe tonight with the delicata and a little bit of sheep’s ossau iraty agour cheese, which is sharp, harder, and moderately salty. I’ll admit that I cut some corners on the pastry, (freezing and refrigeration time mostly, and I substituted yogurt for the sour cream). I tried to follow the technique however, and it still turned out lovely, and not at all tough, although I’m sure I could do better next time.
made your recipe exactly and it was A-MAZING. thank you! love the galette. love the blog!
This was delicious. I first saw it when you started your topic index, and I had never eaten butternut, so I thought I’d give it a try if I ever found one in the grocery store (they’re not that popular in France). And yesterday, there it was! I immediately knew what to have for dinner… And oooooh, this was good!
And the crust is perfect. I totally understand how you could spend hours imagining other filling combination, because this is exactly what I’m doing now!
Made it again with pumpkin and another with kale, and a third one pizza style for the kids. All were delish!
I made this for a dinner party last friday, and it got rave reviews! I will definitely repeat. You are so fabulous.
Just discovered your site and love it! Absoltely stunning photos to help telegraph the beauty of the recipes. I am planning to serve a butternut squash ravioli in a sageand hazelnut browutter sauce. I feel like I need to provide a protein accompaniment but don’t want to infrnge on al already rich dish. Any suggestions on a meat pairing?
How many servings does this make?
Thank you so much for this recipe– I made it for my Husband this weekend and we absolutely loved it. It was my first experience making a “real” pastry, and it turned out well! I now have confidence to make more “real” pastry dishes!
This was a huge hit! A girlfriend of mine and I got together and made two, splitting the prep work. Her husband and my boyfriend both loved it, and my mom is going to give it a try soon!
Just made this as a dinner for 2 (hubby and I). He said, “This tastes like nothing I’ve ever had before. It is better than everything.” Super yummy, the sage made it. Although I did the dough in a food processor and it didn’t turn out quite right. Or maybe it was that I made a double batch? (It was gone in two days, yikes!)
Just put it in the oven (with goat cheese…). Am currently licking the mixing bowl in a very unladylike manner……can’t wait for the finished product.
I made this the other night for my boyfriend. We both LOVED it! Eating it for leftovers is making my colleagues jealous! Cannot thank you enough for this gem!
I made this last night for a gentleman suitor, and it was loved by both of us! “This is the first dish with butternut squash that I actually like” – actual quote from the lucky guy. I saved time by doing all the ingredient prep the night before. All I had to do was pile on the fillings the day of, fold up the pastry, and pop in the oven. I drizzled a homemade balsamic reduction on it at the table and it was PERFECT.
I refrigerated all ingredients overnight, but next time I make this I will DEFINITELY freeze the pastry first. It got sticky and goopy within 3 minutes of taking it out of the fridge to load up on toppings, and it was a bit of a mess trying to fold the pastry up. Otherwise, wonderful recipe!
I made a version of this for Thanksgiving, it was delicious! here are pictures pictures
My husband, friends, and I all really enjoyed this galette, as well as the mushroom-cabbage one. I did not have any fontina, so used sharp cheddar with a couple of Tablespoons of goat cheese that needed to be used up. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for the inspiration. Prior to trying these, I had never made a galette. So easy, especially preparing the ingredients the night before!
I am making my second galettte in as many weeks. It takes a bit of planning, but I was surprised at how easy the dough was to make by hand. This is one of those recipes going into our favorites collection! Thanks for sharing.
I’m making this right now, but without the galette shell. I’m too lazy to make that on a weeknight! :) I just mixed up the onions and squash and sprinkled cheese on top. It looks so delicious!
I made the Squash Galette yesterday for a potluck. Oh, my!! I went through some angst while I was making that crust, but tried very hard to follow directions, even looking at your piecrust post, and did it ever pay off! The galette got rave reviews from about 20 women who are real foodies! I was afraid of the fontina’s smell too, but it was perfect. I’ve been lurking on your site for a few months and this is the first recipe I have tried, but definitely not the last…Thanks so much for your dedication. I am sure it is a lobor of love, but also a lot of work.
Wow! I have been eyeing this recipe for ages and finally made it last night. The dough felt really nice – stretchy and smooth, just like you wrote. The flavors all combined to something really spectacular. Upon his first bite, my boyfriend called it “interesting”. I was sad. But with every subsequent bite his opinion grew more and more favorable. We will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
Fabulous! I made it with gouda cheese, but everything else was the same. Served it with a salad of green leaf, apples, gouda, and pecans with a maple dressing, and it was a wonderful dinner. Our guest even said he’s always thought he disliked squash, but he loved this dish. Thanks for another impressive dish!
made it for the fam…WOW everyone RAVED about it! I used gruyere cheese and assembled the filling and crust the night before…it was delicious!!! i think fresh sage is the cherry that makes the dish truly pop. this recipe is a true treat.
I have been holding on to this recipe as it looks so gorgeous. The 2/09 “Gourmet” has butternut squash gallette, which reminded me of this one. Deb, I had real problems with your crust; it was just too damp. So I scrapped it and made the “Gourmet” version which was fine. Substituted goat cheese for the fontina. A truly fabulous result! Thank you.
I’ve been browsing your site for the past few days (how in the world could I have been missing this for so long?!?), and just saw your recipe for potato pizza, which made me think of a potato galette that my dad makes – which led me to search for galette’s here! This looks great – your pictures are beautiful and make me want to shoot my own – and will definitely be added to the queue – but if you want the best of both worlds, potato galette is for you ;) I believe it’s a Julia Child recipe….
I forgot how I stumbled upon your blog, but I have now made several of your recipes. All of them were wonderful! I love to cook, and do so pretty much every day, so your blog has been a HUGE inspiration! Now, this galette has turned me from a lurker on your blog to a commenter. It was just so delicious! My boyfriend proclaimed it the best thing I have ever made! The crust was heavenly, buttery, flaky, just beautiful. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
This was, as my boyfriend said, one of the best things he has eaten in a long time. We had grilled Delmonico steaks, broccolini and this galette–absolutely fabulous. I didn’t have time to refrigerate the crust for an hour but it still turned out wonderfully. Thanks!
I made this last night (yeah, I know, it isn’t fall yet . . . but does butternut squash have two seasons or something!? Cause my farmers market is OVERFLOWING with the stuff! I wonder . . . )
I was pretty intimidated when I set out to make this because I’d never done any pastry making before . . .but this dough is AWESOME and it turned out beautifully for me. With all the chilling it took quite a while to make, but very well worth the wait in the end. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
we’re having a few days of decidedly fall weather so, for a change from cold wraps & salads i’m cozying up and roasting things… like chicken and root vegetables.
i love to cook but am very slowly pushing the envelope with recipes that take me out of my happy ’signature dishes that never go wrong and make me look like a great cook’ zone! this dish will most certainly be on the table this evening… even though i’ve never heard of a galette… shameful, i know… :)
I love butternut squash, eat it baked, in soups and anything else I can think of.
This recipe is a keeper. I make it for my friends and they love it as much as I do.
This is a perfect blending of savory, sweet, spicy and sensorial pleasure. The crust is fantastic.
Thanks so much, can’t wait to make it with wild mushrooms this fall.
I have so been looking for a recipe like this. While traveling in England I happened upon an ancient manor-turned-restaurant. They served a delightful galette of carmelized onion, goat cheese, and duck. I’ve tried to find a recipe that I can start with that would help me to recreate that delight. I think this is it. I’ll let you know how it comes out.
I was wondering, would this work without the dough, baking it more as a casserole? I want to cook this as a side for a dinner party but have a few gluten-free friends. love your site, btw.
I made this last night and as of this morning have eaten half of it myself. Right out of the oven, I adored it, but as I kept nibbling on it through the day, I found the sage flavor to be overpowering (I used fresh). Perhaps I should have chopped it finer, as my sage is still in fuzzy green chunks the size of my pinky nail. So, I’m still enjoying the leftovers, but am now picking out all the sage I can!
I roasted the squash with a little thyme, as that’s my favorite thing to add to butternut squash soup. Perhaps if I make it again I’ll scrap the sage idea and put more thyme in instead.
Also, the crust is great! I agree with an earlier comment that the dough should be frozen, not refrigerated, before you roll it out. It was all but melting by the time I put the filling in.
Love your blog – I’m addicted to the “Surprise Me!” button. :-)
This is the third time making this for us… always with a variation and always delish! This time was pumpkin and stilton along with the other ingredients. It was amazing! I rolled it out extra thin and it still held up to the heavy pumpkin. Again… love it!
I assembled this dish yesterday and just popped it in the oven tonight – even after 24 hours of refrigeration, it was still delicious. I let it come up to room temperature for about 30 minutes and then baked for 40. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Deb you are my go-to resource for any dish, thank you! I made this for a dinner party this week and the laborious prep was worth it. I too refrigerated for 24 hours, brought to room temp for 30 min and then baked for 40. Amazing! I’ve received emails from every guest since asking when I can make it again. One question, I notice you don’t cook with seafood often… What gives?
Glad you enjoyed it. I have no taste for seafood. I wish I did because it always looks delicious but I have tried everything and alas, it’s just not for me — with the exception of mussels, and very rare delves into lobster.
I just found you website and i absolutely love it! I made soft pretzels from your recipe yesterday, which were so great, and tonight i made this galette and it is amazing! i have made many dessert galettes before but never a savory one. And now I think I am hooked. Thanks for all of the great recipes!
Fourth time with this recipe and we always love it. Tonight was butternut squash, stilton, carm onions, plus some cheddar on one. Sauteed kale, carm onions, ricotta, and cheddar on another, plus an asst cheese and olive mini for the kids. I used some whole wheat flour in the crust, subbed in yogurt and it’s good, good, good. Use this as a guide… it’s awesome!
This was my first time making my own crust and I was not successful in getting it to roll out thinly enough in order to have extra to fold over the edge. Instead, I pressed the dough into a standard glass pie dish and piled the ingredients on top. I substituted gruyere for fontina and added a bit more sage than you called for.
It came out delicious and decadent – looking forward to improving next time and trying new variations!
I am experiencing food envy at this moment and wondering if Greek yogurt could make a good substitution for sour cream in the pastry dough. Nothing against sour cream, but it just so happens I have a good looking squash on the counter calling my name. Thanks!
If you try it, please let us know if it works. I haven’t tried that substitution but I’m much more likely to have yogurt, not sour cream, at home too.
I made it twice. The first time with yogurt and I was really careful and watched the texture with each addition. It was perfection!
The second time I used sour cream and was over-confident of the outcome. My mistake, it was not nearly as good. Still in the top three crusts of all time though.
made this last night with a friend and it was insanely good. like, absurd. will definitely be adding it to the fall/winter kitchen line up. we added a little chevre on top, and then garnished with crispy sage. yum!
I made this over the weekend and was a little wary since I’m not a huge butternut squash fan, but I had one that had to be used up. I was surprised… it was delicious!! And my crust actually came out perfect and flaky, I was so excited! No sage in my kitchen though, so I used herbes de provence. Yum!
it’s cooking right now in the oven and i cannot wait to eat it! thanks for such a great recipe -*and* for using sage. i love sage!
Deb, I love ALL your recipes. I’m thinking of making this for a potluck. I want to make sure that everyone (there are 14 people coming, theoretically) gets a taste, but there’s going to be TONS of other food. Should I make two galettes? Or perhaps could I make 14 mini galettes? What do you think?
I just made this–attempting, for the first time, to conquer my pie/tart/galette phobia! Just in time for Thanksgiving! I will be poring over your pie crust tutorials like they’re sacred texts.
Made this the other night for a dinner party and it was amazing, everyone LOVED it. I used golden acorn squash instead of butternut, but it worked well. Looking for any excuse to make it again!
This has become one of my favorite recipes-and I cook alot! The first time I made it, I had a difficult time rolling it out to a complete 12″. When I finished assembling it, it was a little smaller than I had wanted. It looked little, but tasted great.
I love good crust, and this recipe is terrific, flaky and tasty. The second time I made it, I increased the crust recipe by half so I had 1 1/2 recipes total. I kept the same amount of filling. It was easier to make a 12″ round. Again, it turned out wonderful and I like the finished size of it better-it just looked nicer. I am keeping this crust recipe close by so I can use it with alot of other fillings. This has become “my speciality” dish since i have been asked to bring it to several potlucks since then.
Any suggestions on sweet fillings, fruit and others? Dieing to keep making this crust…
I’ve made this recipe several times over the past year, using different cheeses along the way… every single time it has been a complete crowd-pleaser! I’ll be bringing a few galettes along to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow! Wonderful!
Good lord!!! I made this last night & I can’t even begin to describe how amazing this is. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
I made this last night – beyond beyond delicious. Being a big fan of both caramelized onions and butternut squash I thought it was time to get over my ‘crustphobia’ and do this recipe right. So glad I did!! Seriously happy stomachs all around.
Not having that handy pasty blender doo-dad, just used the food processor for combining the butter and flour. My butter was rock hard when I did that- not sure if that was right but I forged on. When I mixed in the sour cream-ice water-lemon mixture I was anxious and confused (GD I wanted a good crust!) Everything seemed really dry and not what I thought pie dough would look like/handle like, but I was super aware of not over mixing/handling the dough – is it possible to UNDERhandle it? Like I said first time making crust so I had/have no idea what to aim for. In the end, just wrapped some sort of combined balls of the mixture (wasn’t sure what you meant when you said ‘remove the larger lumps’) in saran wrap and stuck in the freezer.
I also had a hard time rolling it out – had rock hard crumbs/clumps that wouldn’t really come together at first. Even though from what I read it seemed that working with warm pie dough is VERBOTEN I had to let it warm up a lot before i could roll any shape out. It did get a little sticky but i put it back in the freezer for 2 minutes and in the end all was well.
Your pie crust posts were very very helpful prepping me for the wondrous creation of crust, but in the trenches of a tiny kitchen my thought bubble assuredly read “whaaaat am i doing…???”
But moral of the story (and very long comment) – it turned out into an oblong frankenstein looking galette of deliciousness. Can’t wait to make it again!
Hi. I made this twice in three days for company. It was a big hit both times. I am horrible at working with pastry, but this came out great and was delicious. (The freeform crust helps!) I also cut up the butter in itsy-bits pieces, smaller than pea-sized, the second time and that was a big help.
Any other ideas for fillings?