Apple Galette

I am a 'test cook' for a cooking magazine. It is fun, interesting, and, hopefully helpful to the editors. I suppose that they want people to help test recipes and see how they fare with the general public. The one I tried was the Apple Galette. It was good, I would not have made it so large, so square, or have the apples on a diagonal (that was just a bit difficult). I have included the recipe as well as photos, as well as an addition to the recipe that the editor forgot. :)

Apple Galette
Makes one 14-inch tart, serving 6 to 8

The two common brands of instant flour are Wondra and Shake & Blend. They are sold in small canisters in the baking aisle usually alongside the cornstarch. The galette can be made without the instant flour, using 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. However, you might have to increase the amount of water in the dough slightly. Although any apple will work in this recipe, the test kitchen preferred crisp, tart apples that were moderately sweet like golden delicious, granny smith, and empire. Make sure to cut the apples as thinly as possible. If they are cut thicker than 1/8-inch they will be hard to shingle. If your dough becomes soft and sticky while rolling, transfer it to a baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Check the bottom of the galette halfway through baking, it should be a light golden brown. If it is darker, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Serve galette with sweetened whipped cream, crème fraiche, or vanilla ice cream.

Dough:
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) instant flour (see note above)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 to 9 tablespoons ice water

Apple Filling:
1 1/2 pound apples (about 3-4 medium or 4-5 small), see note above
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 tablespoon water

1. FOR THE DOUGH: Combine flours, salt, and sugar in food processor with three 1-second pulses. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs and butter pieces about 1/4-inch remain, four to eight 1-second pulses. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over mixture and pulse once quickly to combine; repeat until dough begins to form small curds and holds together when pinched with fingers.

2. Empty dough onto work surface; dough will not be cohesive (if dough has large dry areas, sprinkle additional 2 teaspoons water over dry areas and incorporate by gently fluffing entire amount of dough with fingers). Using bench scraper, gather dough into rough mound about 12-inches long and 5-inches wide (mound should be perpendicular to edge of counter). Beginning at farthest end, use heel of hand, pushing firmly away from you, to smear about 2 tablespoons of dough against work surface, flattening dough into shaggy pieces. Repeat until all dough has been worked. Using bench scraper, gather dough again and repeat (dough will not have to be smeared as much as first time). Dough should now be cohesive. Form dough into 4-inch square, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until cold and firm but malleable, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

3. About 15 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices, about the thickness of two dimes.

4.TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: (If dough has chilled longer than 1 hour and is cold and hard, let stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before proceeding.) On 12 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper lightly dusted with flour, roll dough until it reaches about 8-inch square. Dust both top and bottom of dough with flour and continue to roll so that it just overhangs all four sides of parchment and is about 1/8 inch thick, dusting dough and rolling pin with flour as needed. (If dough sticks to parchment, gently loosen and lift sticky area with bench scraper and dust parchment with additional flour). Transfer parchment paper and dough onto a baking sheet. Trim overhanging dough. Fold each edge of dough over by 1/2-inch and press lightly. Re-fold each edge over again creating a ½-inch tall border. (If dough is too soft at this point, transfer parchment paper and dough to baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to harden).

5. Starting in one corner, shingle sliced apples, evenly across bottom, overlapping the previous row of apples by half. Dot apples with butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake until bottom of crust is deep golden brown and apples have caramelized, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 15 minutes.

6. While tart is cooling, heat apricot preserves and water in small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling. Pour mixture through fine-meshed strainer to remove any large apricot pieces. Brush apples with glaze. Using edges of parchment paper, transfer galette to cutting board. Cut in half lengthwise and then into 1 to 2-inch strips; serve.