This pear and gorgonzola galette is an easy and delicious dish that is perfect for entertaining. I love surprising my friends and family with dishes like this because they look way more impressive than they actually are – and they taste delicious as well.
This galette recipe does involve making your own dough, but it is actually very simple and only takes a few ingredients! As for the filling, there’s really nothing to do but buy the ingredients and slice the pears. From start to finish this pear and gorgonzola galette can be made in less than an hour!
If you don’t feel like making your own dough, you can always buy premade dough, or an already baked tart shell for a tart instead of a galette. I also have a recipe for a pate brisee if you want to learn how to make your own tart shells as well.
This pear tart if you will is also easily customizable. Do you like blue cheese but prefer roquefort over gorgonzola? Go right ahead and make that swap. Prefer agave syrup instead of honey? Go for it! Cooking should be fun and if you want to make substitutions just remember you’re the one eating it.
What You’ll Need
These items are recommended for making not just galettes, but most baked goods. However I’ll also add a few substitutions if you don’t want to buy a kitchen tool if you aren’t big into baking. Of course not included down below are the basics like a worktop surface and an oven, but that’s pretty common sense.
- Stand Mixer – A stand mixer is one of the most useful kitchen tools I have. From making various doughs, to meringues, and even shredding chicken, I probably use my SMEG stand mixer five times a week. If you don’t have a stand mixer, or don’t feel like spending the money on one, you can knead the dough for this recipe entirely by hand.
- Rolling Pin – A rolling pin is a cheap and useful device that will help you roll out the dough to perfect galette thickness. I prefer a French style rolling pin but you can use anything, even a wine bottle if that’s all you have.
- Tart Dish – This is entirely optional as well. Since galettes are known for being rustic, you don’t have to fold over a perfectly even top layer like I did in my version. Leave it floppy and uneven; It will still taste delicious. If you do want a tart dish I use my Emile Henry deep flan dish which is the perfect size for this recipe (32cm diameter).
How To Make This Delicious Pear And Gorgonzola Galette Recipe
The first step in this galette recipe is to make the dough. In fact the dough can be made up to two days in advance and still turn out wonderfully. My dough recipe has five ingredients, but you can knock it down to four as the seed mix is entirely optional
Ingredients
- 200 grams Flour – AP works fine here
- 100 grams Butter – Try to use a butter with a higher fat percentage. I recommend something about 82%.
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Seeds – I buy a packet called salad seeds, which are meant to be sprinkled over salads although I find them perfect for this galette dough. My mix includes linen seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds.
Seeded Galette Dough Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or by hand) place the flour and chilled butter cut into small cubes. I also like to add the salt here. Run the machine until the mixture begins to look like sand and pebbles.
Next add the egg and seeds and continue to run the machine. This is a very hard dough to overwork so let the hook do it’s job until you have a tight, elastic ball of dough.
Tightly wrap the seeded galette dough with plastic wrap or cling film and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. As mentioned above you can prepare this dough up to two days in advance, but you want to chill it at least 15 minutes before rolling it out.
Making The Pear Galette
Like the dough, the gorgonzola pear filling is also just five ingredients. And yes the photo above does show two cheeses. While the stronger gorgonzola gets named in the title of this recipe, the other cheese makes a great base and is also one of my favorite cheeses.
Pear And Gorgonzola Filling Ingredients
- 1/2 Pear – I opted for a French butter pear, but you can use conference or anjou or any pear you prefer. You only need half for this recipe so enjoy munching on the rest as the pastry is baking.
- 100 grams Gorgonzola – This Italian blue cheese gives a ton of flavor to this recipe, but you can use any blue cheese you prefer.
- 100 grams Raclette – This Swiss cheese has extreme meltability and makes a perfect base for galettes. Using raclette is a great way to elevate your homemade galette from something average to something exceptional.
- Walnuts – Optional. I love crumbling over some walnuts in this recipe for a nice texture change and for the nutty flavor. Feel free to leave it out, or use another nut like almonds or hazelnuts if you like.
- Honey – To taste
- Salt – To taste
Instructions
The first thing you have to do is roll out your dough. I suggest doing this on a large, floured surface. I like my French style rolling pin but you can use whatever you have on hand. Roll the dough about 10 cm larger than the diameter of your baking dish to account for the fold-over and trimmings.
Place the dough in your baking dish and let the edges flow over the rim. Put down a layer of grated raclette, followed by the thinly sliced pears, blue cheese crumbles, and walnuts. The walnuts can burn if you place the galette too close to the heating element in the oven so you can also add them on at the end. Or, place them under the pears to protect them from the heat.
Trim away the excess dough so you have an even amount, then fold it over the edges like shown in the photograph above. Sprinkle over some salt and pop in the oven at 200C or 400F for 15-20 minutes, or until the dough looks golden brown.
Before serving drizzle over a bit of honey. You can also add things like fresh herbs, hot sauce, or anything else you feel like.
More Savory Galettes You’ll Love
If you like this creamy and tasty pear and blue cheese recipe then you’ll love my other savory galette recipes. I highly recommend a simple wild mushroom and goat cheese galette, which even uses store-bought puff pastry for an express method.
Pear And Gorgonzola Galette
Ingredients
Dough
- 200 grams Flour AP works fine here
- 100 grams Butter Try to use a butter with a higher fat percentage. I recommend something about 82% or higher.
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Seeds My mix includes linen seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. You can use whatever you want, or leave it out entirely.
Filling
- 1/2 Pear I opted for a French butter pear but you can use any pear you like
- 100 grams Gorgonzola
- 100 grams Raclette
- Walnuts Optional
- Honey To taste
- Salt To taste
Instructions
Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or by hand) place the flour and chilled butter cut into small cubes. I also like to add the salt here. Run the machine until the mixture begins to look like sand and pebbles.
- Next add the egg and seeds and continue to run the machine. This is a very hard dough to overwork so let the hook do it’s job until you have a tight, elastic ball of dough.
- Tightly wrap the seeded galette dough with plastic wrap or cling film and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. As mentioned above you can prepare this dough up to two days in advance, but you want to chill it at least 15 minutes before rolling it out.
Pear & Goat Cheese Galette
- The first thing you have to do is roll out your dough. I suggest doing this on a large, floured surface. I like my French style rolling pin but you can use whatever you have on hand. Roll the dough about 10 cm larger than the diameter of your baking dish to account for the fold-over and trimmings.
- Place the dough in your baking dish and let the edges flow over the rim. Put down a layer of grated raclette, followed by the thinly sliced pears, blue cheese crumbles, and walnuts. The walnuts can burn if you place the galette too close to the heating element in the oven so you can also add them on at the end. Or, place them under the pears to protect them from the heat.Trim away the excess dough so you have an even amount, then fold it over the edges like shown in the photograph above. Sprinkle over some salt and pop in the oven at 200C or 400F for 15-20 minutes, or until the dough looks golden brown.
- Before serving drizzle over a bit of honey. You can also add things like fresh herbs, hot sauce, or anything else you feel like.
