Why is it called a stone fruit?

Stone fruits are named for the hard, stone-like pit at their centre. Botanically called drupes, they have fleshy fruit surrounding a single seed enclosed in a tough shell.

What is a French galette made of?

A French galette is typically made from a simple pastry dough of flour, butter, water, and salt, then filled with fruit or savoury ingredients and folded free-form.

Why is it called a galette?

The word ‘galette’ comes from the Norman French word gale, meaning ‘flat cake’. It traditionally refers to flat, round cakes or free-form pastries.

Is galette French or Italian?

Galette is French. The term and pastry originate in France, where ‘galette’ describes several types of flat cakes, pancakes, and free-form crusty tarts.

Written by

Neelanjana Mondal

Copy Writer

Reinvent Galettes With A Khapli Wheat Crust And Monsoon Special
Stone Fruits

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Quick Summary

A galette is an umbrella term for a pastry base topped with either sweet or savoury fillings, with the edges roughly folded in to create a gorgeous, rustic-looking bake. The word comes from the Norman word gale, meaning flat cake. This monsoon, give the galette an Indian makeover by swapping refined flour for the nutty khapli wheat and filling it with the stone fruits that Indian markets are overflowing with between June and September.

Deep Dive

Stone fruits, or drupes, are fruits with a fleshy outer layer around a firm, stone-like seed, hence the name. They are a popular choice for pies and tarts, with free-form pastries like a galette, which is made by the French. Galettes don't need a tin to be baked in; instead, the dough is simply rolled out to form the pastry crust, with the filling added into the centre and folded roughly before popping it in the oven. The rough quality, from the crimped edges, the fruit pooling in the centre, is where its appeal lies.

Galette uses all-purpose flour, which is maida, and while the galette does not need a doubling of the dough as cakes and other pastries do, whole wheat atta, like khapli atta, poses a challenge. It has lower gluten content and a fragile gluten structure, so it needs extra care. You need to focus more on hydrating the dough as it is prone to tearing than the elastic dough produced by maida, and using cold butter for the best results.

The Typical Galette Fillings

The galette's fillings can be anything, be it fruit or savoury ingredients like cheese and mushrooms. On the sweet side, stone fruits with a tart flavour like apricots, peaches, plums, and sour cherries are the usual galette fillings. Typically finished with sugar and cornstarch to balance their juiciness. A thin layer of jam is also spread over the rolled dough before the fruit is added to enhance the fruit flavour considerably. You can also use other fruits like strawberries, blueberries, figs, and pears.

On the savoury side, fillings could be anything from mushrooms and cheese, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, or potato, bacon and cheese. You can also use other French dishes like the ratatouille and arrange the thinly sliced vegetables inside the galette, over ricotta and goat cheese. What makes galettes perfect for Indian produce and even khapli atta is that Indians are quite good with flavour combinations.

Making a Galette Crust with Khapli Wheat

One of the oldest cultivated grains, which has been grown in India for centuries, is khapli wheat, with brands like Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta bringing its goodness to the fore. It’s for the health-conscious folks and those with digestive issues who still want to enjoy their baked treats, as khapli atta has a good amount of dietary fibre, protein, iron and vitamin B1.

As for baking, khapli atta contains less gluten than regular wheat, making it easier to digest. Its lower gluten content also means the dough behaves differently; it is softer, suppler, and less prone to springing back when you roll it or poke it, which actually makes it ideal for galettes where you want a pliable, foldable crust. Added to that, khapli wheat has an earthy and nutty flavour that is missing in maida, which will complement the sweet-tart flavours of stone fruits.

India's Monsoon Stone Fruits to Try in Galettes

India's rainy season runs from June to September and brings a bounty of seasonal fruits. Some of the best to enjoy during the monsoon include litchi, jamun, plums, pears, and cherries. All of these fruits are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and hydrating. Here is how to think about each one for your galette:

Plums

Indian plums are locally known as aloobukhara, and are small and dark with a purplish hue or reddish. India is the ninth largest producer of plums globally and is rich in vitamins A, C, and K. Its sweet and tart flavours make it the perfect fruit to add to a galette. Remove the seeds, keep the peel on or peel it off and slice them into thin pieces. Toss with some powdered sugar or jaggery powder, and cinnamon powder, and let them caramelise inside the khapli crust in the oven.

Peaches

Peaches are available from June to August, mainly grown in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand. Peaches are among the most sought-after fruits used in galettes, and they get syrupy and caramelise in the oven like plums. The syrup thickens against the crust, which does wonders when the peaches are tossed in a mixture of cardamom-infused brown sugar and vanilla extract. You can also choose cinnamon to complement the flavour of the sweet peaches.

Jamun

Jamun might resemble plums, but smaller, with a more astringent taste, which is valued for its antioxidants, with some consuming it to help manage blood sugar levels. Bakers recommend using it in combination with sweeter fruits like plums and peaches, but if you are experimental, try a combination of a bunch of pitted jamuns tossed with sugar, lime juice and cornstarch. It will yield a tart galette, so you can add cream cheese to make it more palatable. Pair it with a cream cheese base to balance the tartness.

Cherries

There are a variety of cherries available in the market that peak in monsoons, if you are looking for local produce. Pick red cherries if you want a tart flavour; the darker ones tend to be sweeter. Some fruit sellers might let you sample their fare, so try them before buying. With sour cherries, you will need to toss them in a sugar-lime mix to make them sweeter for the galette. You can also mix them with peaches in a khapli crust, for an attractive colour combination and taste.

Apricots

Apricots tend to be less sweet than the likes of peaches, with their tartness standing out more. But it is loved for its distinct fruit smell that complements fruits like peaches (for their ability to retain shape and close flavour) quite well, but it is advised you add them to the galette solo, to make their unique flavour and aroma stay intact. Halved apricots laid cut-side up in a galette will give you artsy results. Towards the end, this galette will benefit from some apricot jam brushed over it.

Making Khapli Wheat Stone Fruit Galette

The method is simple, but a few principles apply regardless of which stone fruit you choose.

The Crust: Work 100g cold butter, cut into cubes, into 200g khapli atta with your fingertips until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough forms. Press into a disc, wrap, and rest in the fridge for at least one hour. When rolling out, the dough is ready for the cold butter to release steam in the oven, creating pockets of flakiness in the crust.

The Filling: Tart stone fruits like apricots, peaches, plums, and cherries need a greater amount of sugar and cornstarch. Spreading a thin layer of jam over the rolled dough before adding the fruit enhances the flavour significantly. Match the jam to the fruit or try contrasting options like peach jam for a cherry galette.

The Bake: Fold the edges of the dough up and over the fruit to make a crust. Bake until the crust is well-browned and the fruit is cooked through, around 45-50 minutes, then brush the top of the fruit with a little warm apricot jam for a glossy finish. Serve the galette warm with some vanilla ice cream.

Stone Fruits For Your Monsoon Galette

Fruit	Monsoon Availability	Flavour Profile	Best Pairing In Galette	Sweetness Needed
Plums (Aloo Bukhara)	June – August, North India	Sweet-tart, jammy	Cinnamon, jaggery, vanilla	Moderate
Peaches (Aadoo)	June – August, Himachal, J&K, Uttarakhand	Honey-sweet, floral	Cardamom, pistachios, brown sugar	Low to moderate
Jamun (Java Plum)	June – July, pan-India	Intensely astringent, tangy	Lime, raw sugar, paired with plums	High
Cherries (Gilas)	June, northern hill states	Sweet, rounded, mild	Peach, vanilla, almond extract	Low
Apricots (Khurmani / Jardalu)	Late June – July, northern mountains	Tart-sweet, perfumed	Honey, saffron, cardamom	Moderate

Khapli Atta Crust Galette with Stone Fruits

Galettes were always meant to be imperfect, and monsoon is the perfect time to use fruits that barely get much attention in baked goods by adding them to galettes. Pairing these fruits with a khapli wheat crust is a nutritional upgrade, with a nutty flavour and crispier crust that usual that will reduce your guilt when it comes to consuming sugary desserts. You get the benefit of the nutritious stone fruits, too, through the galette.