This easy Apple Cheddar Galette features an ultra crisp and flaky sharp cheddar crust wrapped around tender, cinnamon scented apples. Combining sweet and salty cravings in a single, simple dessert.

Apple Cheddar Galette by Baking The Goods

There is no denying that a fancy decorative pie is an absolute showstopper. My Apple Cheddar Pie is the ultimate example of beauty meets flavor. However, I realize the commitment it takes to make such an intricate pie. Sometimes that's just not in the cards. Enter this simple Apple Cheddar Galette.

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Galettes, pie's easy cousin
Apple filling ingredients
Bake on a Baking Steel for crispy crust
How to shape a simple galette
How to chill, bake & enjoy galettes
Recipe
Comments

Galettes, pie's easy cousin

I get it. Sometimes we have big plans to bake something that's dressed to impress. But when reality hits, it may not happen. Life has a sneaky way of squashing plans while dominating every free second you thought you had. This easy Apple Cheddar Galette is a much more approachable stand-in to decorative and laborious pies. Think of this apple galette as the cool, no-fuss, laid back cousin of my legendary Apple Cheddar Pie.

All of the signature flavors and textures are still there. You've got the flaky, sharp cheddar pie crust and the tender cinnamon scented apple filling. In contrast, the work is minimal with this basic apple galette. You get all of the goods in less steps with a minimal mess!

It starts with the Cheddar Pie Dough

For this galette, you're gonna need to make that dough from scratch. That's a nonnegotiable. What sets the Cheddar Pie Dough apart is the fact that it has sharp cheddar mixed right into the crust. You're not going to find that pre-packaged in stores, people. To be honest, I have never met a store-bought pie dough that holds a candle to a homemade Basic All Butter Pie Dough. Homemade pie crust is always worth the effort. And, once you get the hang of it, homemade pie dough is as easy as pie.

adding cheddar to dough — Grated sharp cheddar cheese is blended right into the pie dough. This gives the dough its unique character.

2 uniform Cheddar Pie Dough Disks — Grated sharp cheddar cheese is blended right into the pie dough. This gives the dough its unique character.

Apple filling ingredients

Apples There are certain apple varieties that tend to be better baking apples than others. When baking, I prefer to use a mix of tart Granny Smith apples and naturally crisp and lightly sweet Honeycrisp apples. They both hold up well to the heat of the oven and offer a nice blend of flavors when paired together. Fuji and Pink Lady are also great options.
Brown sugar adds a rich depth in sweetness to the filling.
Lemon juice brings a hit of brightness to the apple galette filling. Just a bit of zesty lemon enhances the naturally sunny apple flavor.
Ground Cinnamon layers in a gentle warming spice to the filling that compliments the apples while adding flavor.
Tapioca flour or cornstarch help to thicken the filling if it's leaning towards too juicy. While not totally necessary, a tablespoon helps that filling thicken as the pie bakes. Fighting off soggy bottoms.
Butter bits layer in a luxurious character, flooding the filling with rich rich buttery notes.

apples from my tree — For this galette, I was able to use fresh apples picked from my tree!

Apple Galette filling — For this galette, I was able to use fresh apples picked from my tree!

Bake on a Baking Steel for crispy crust

A Baking Steel is my favorite secret weapon when it comes to baking galettes and pies. While generally known for its unique ability to churn out fancy pizzeria style pizzas in your home oven, Baking Steel can do so much more.

Baking Steel for baking pizza, galettes & pies — Use a Baking Steel for crisp & bubbly pizza crusts and the flakiest, crispest galette & pie crusts.

What exactly is a Baking Steel?

I am so glad you asked. Baking Steel is a home baking game-changer that transforms a standard oven into a heat dome that rivals a restaurant quality wood-fired oven.

At its core, Baking Steel is simply a thick slab of pre-seasoned steel used to enhance everything from pizza, to pies and galettes, bread or cookies. They are available in a range of sizes that can be used in a home oven, outdoor oven or directly on the stovetop.
Steel is a highly conductive surface that absorbs the heat of an oven and creates a clean, ripping hot surface that crisps crusts like a champ.
Because steel is such a great heat conductor, it transfers that heat to your baked goods, creating an environment that works similarly to a wood fired oven. Think chewy, bubbly, blistering pizza crusts. Rustic breads with crusty exteriors. Plus galettes and pies with flaky, shatteringly crispy crusts.

Baking Steel is my soggy bottom insurance policy for pies & galettes

All of my pie and galette recipes are loaded with tips and tricks for avoiding the dreaded soggy bottom. Sometimes, it pays to tack on the added insurance policy. Baking Steel is just that.

Because it is such a powerful heat conductor, I always bake my pies and galettes right on top of the Baking Steel. All of that captured heat, transfers to the bottom surface of the crusts, heating them up quick. That seals the outer layer of the pie crust. The heat quickly causes the dough to puff up and create a flaky texture. The barrier forms before the fruit starts to cook and release juices down into the crust. That quick seal process is the ultimate soggy bottom protection.

This Apple Cheddar Galette shapes up quick and easy

Galettes are known for their rustic character. Unlike a pie, there is no need for a pie pan or intricate weaving. It's a quick roll, fold and go situation. Saving time while still delivery on pie cravings.

How to shape a simple galette

Roll the Cheddar Pie Dough dough disk into a 12" round.
Brush the surface with egg wash. This will help form a seal between the dough and the filling as the proteins in the egg will coagulate in the heat.
Top the dough round with the spiced apple filling using a slotted spoon. Leaving a 2" rim of dough all the way around.
Dot the apple filling with small butter hunks to add luxurious creaminess to the filling.
Lift and fold the dough all the way around the galette. As you lift it will naturally pleat.
Brush the edges with egg wash, then sprinkle with turbinado or sparkling sugar for crunch.

Rolling out cheddar pie dough — **Roll**

Brushing cheddar pie dough with egg wash — **Roll**

How to chill, bake & enjoy galettes

After you have effortlessly shaped the Apple Cheddar Galette, it needs to chill in the freezer for a bit. This helps the galette keep its structure when it hits that hot oven. While the Baking Steel gets screamin' hot, the galette simultaneously firms up in the freezer for about 30 minutes. When it hits the oven, the interaction between the hot steel and cold galette allows it to maintain its shape and get that extra crisp crust that shatters into a flaky flurry when you bite into it.

This Apple Galette with Cheddar Crust comes out of the oven crispy edged with tender, spiced apples.

Next time you find yourself craving a fresh baked apple pie but can't commit to a full on pie baking adventure, give this simple Apple Cheddar Galette a go. The rustic nature of a hand formed galette gives it big personality points. All while fulfilling the hardiest of pie hankerings.

This post was proudly made in partnership with my pals at Baking Steel. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting me and the brands that I love. Follow @bakingsteel on Instagram to learn more about the product line how to use it and discover new recipes !

Apple Cheddar Galette