caramelized shallot, zucchini, and halloumi galette

Galettes and toasts have one huge in thing in common: they’re missing a top. So as toasts are open-faced sandwiches, galettes are open-faced pies – the pie crust is used as the base, baked on a flat baking sheet rather than a pie tin, and sorta-kinda folded over the filling but not quite that the filling still peaks out. Galette crusts most typically follow the same recipe as pie crusts (basically butter, flour, and water), but like with most recipes, I wondered if I could throw labneh in the crust instead. And behold! I did, subbing out an extra stick of butter for some labneh and olive oil. The crust was still flaky, and had an added oomph from the tangy labneh.

Feel free to sub the filling for any you like – here I used zucchini, halloumi, and caramelized shallots. But you can swap the zucchini for tomato slices or asparagus, the halloumi for mozzarella or feta, and the caramelized shallots for onions or leeks. You do you! Whatever the combo, it’ll be wrapped in flaky & crispy pastry, like a warm hug.

caramelized shallot zucchini halloumi galette

INGREDIENTS

Dough

1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cold
1/3 cup labneh, whole-fat greek yogurt, or sour cream
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar

Filling & Assembly

1 large shallot
1 medium zucchini or summer squash
1 cup halloumi cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Make the dough: Whisk together flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Cut cold butter into 1/2” cubes, and drop each cube into the flour, spread apart from each other evenly. Smash the butter cubes into the flour mixture with your finger tips, flattening the butter as you go and working it into the flour to create a sandy mixture (the small pieces of butter will melt within the dough once in the oven, which helps create those flaky layers).

Form a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the labneh, yogurt or sour cream and olive oil. Start by mixing the dairy and olive oil together with your fingers, and then incorporate the flour, mixing and then kneading into a smooth dough. Form dough into circular disc and cover with plastic wrap. Chill dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Prep the filling: Slice the shallot into thin rings, lengthwise. Over medium heat, sauté shallot rings with 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1/2 tsp. salt, until shallot becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add white wine or balsamic vinegar, and cook until shallot becomes jammy, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat. Slice zucchini or squash into 1/8” thin rounds and set aside.

Make the galette: Preheat oven to 400ºF/205ºC. Remove dough from fridge, and roll out into a large circle 1/2” thick on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper (it’s ok if it isn’t perfect!). Spread the grated cheese onto the dough, leaving about 2 inches of border on the edges. Add the caramelized shallots on top, and then the zucchini slices, layered in circle, starting from the outer edge and working your way inside. Fold the excess dough at the border over (a rustic look is welcome here). Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil over exposed vegetables. Brush dough with beaten egg and top with sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds if desired.