Word of Mouth: Galette

galette (gah-leht): n. A round, flat cake with a flaky pastry crust, originating in France.

We’ve been talking about crostatas a lot lately, and we started to wonder what the difference is between our beloved crostata and the more refined-sounding galette, plus how they both related to tarts…

Turns out, a galette and a crostata are essentially the same thing (one French, one Italian). Both of them differ from tarts in the sense that a tart is baked into a tart pan. Crostatas and galettes are typically free-form and rustic, with the dough edges folded up around the filling, which can be savory or sweet.

We’ve shown you our most recent creation, a Prune Plum Crostata with Brown Sugar Topping, but pears and apples are also classic galette fillings, since they aren’t too runny and won’t overflow a crust that isn’t contained in a pan.

Here’s an explanation from Jacques Pépin on the difference between a tart and a galette, with recipes for apple and potato galettes:

• Apple and Potato Galette Recipes, from Jacques Pépin

Do you have any favorite galette fillings? Savory or sweet?

Related: Recipe: Fig and Lavender Goat Cheese Galettes (pictured)

(Image: Gregory Han)