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This French onion galette transforms the beloved bistro classic into a stunning savory tart with sweet caramelized onions, nutty Gruyere, and a flaky parmesan crust.
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What makes this dish special
Quick, name your favorite dip! Mine is, without a doubt, french onion dip. You know those jarred French onion dips they sell near the potato chips? I was a huge sucker for those back in my high school days. Give me some sour cream and onion chips with French onion dip, and you would be my best friend. Little did I know that jarred sauce was nothing like the real deal. Once I made the real French onion dip, there was no turning back (okay, maybe that's not completely true).
Today I wanted to take the idea of a French onion dip and turn it into a galette. Too far of a stretch? I didn't think so when this French onion galette came out of my oven. It's buttery, it's savory, it's sweet, it's utterly delicious. Ready for some savory galette madness?
Ingredients
- Parmesan: In the dough, it adds a savory, nutty flavor and helps create a more flavorful, cheese-forward crust. As a topping, it provides a salty, crispy finish.
- Sweet onions: Use sweet onions, including Vidalia or Walla Walla. These have higher sugar content, making them ideal for caramelizing.
- Sherry: Adds a nutty, slightly sweet flavor to the onion filling and helps deglaze the pan.
- Sour cream: Acts as a creamy binder that holds the filling together and adds tanginess.
- Gruyere: Has a nutty, slightly sweet taste with excellent depth. It's less salty than many cheeses, allowing the onions to shine.
Substitutions and variations
- Cheese: Substitute gruyère with fontina or mozzarella for a milder flavor.
- Protein: You can add bacon or prosciutto to the filling.
- Vegetarian: Replace beef stock with vegetable stock or a rich mushroom broth.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour for the pie dough.
Recipe
French Onion Galette
Ingredients
Pie dough
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (156 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan (½ ounce)
- ½ cup cold butter, cut into small chunks (113 grams)
- 3-4 tablespoons ice-cold water
Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sherry wine
- ½ cup beef stock
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ cup grated gruyere
- egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Make the pie dough. Combine all-purpose flour with salt, grated parmesan, and cold butter. Use a food processor or pastry blender to mix until well combined. The mixture should resemble coarse sand. Add 3-4 tablespoons of ice-cold water, mixing just until the dough comes together. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add sliced onion and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add sherry wine and beef stock and increase heat to high. Continue to simmer until all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Combine the caramelized onions with black pepper, thyme, sour cream, and gruyere, stirring until well combined.
- Dust a clean work counter with flour. Roll out the pie dough into a large circle, about ⅛-inch thick. Spread the onion filling in the center, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold over the edges to create a crust.
- Brush the edges with egg wash and sprinkle grated parmesan on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make pie dough
So, since this is a French onion galette, the first thing you have to do is make the pie dough. Nothing fancy here, we're just taking a basic pie dough and adding parmesan to the mix.
Yes, we are going all the way with this pie and adding cheese to the crust. It will make it extra buttery and delicious, I promise you.
I like to use a food processor to help bring the dough together, but you can mix the ingredients by hand using a pastry cutter. If you use a food processor, just be sure not to overmix the dough.
The mixture should still look crumbly after adding the ice-cold water, but should clump together easily. Remove the mixture from the processor and use your hands to shape it into a cohesive shape.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to two days.
Step 2: Caramelize onions
While the dough is chilling in the fridge, caramelize the onions. I have a special place in my heart for caramelized onions. They transform the most basic dish into something spectacular, like this caramelized shallot and bean gratin and caramelized shallot cheesy bread.
Yes, caramelized onions will take forever, or around 45 minutes to be more exact. However, we're going to slightly under-caramelize them since they will continue to cook in the oven.
Heat oil in a saute pan and add the thinly sliced onions and salt. Salt will help the onions brown more evenly, but it will also take longer since it will first draw the moisture.
Keep the flame on low to prevent the onions from burning and stir occasionally so they don't stick to the pan. If the onions start to stick, add a couple of tablespoons of water and continue to cook.
Once the onions take on a beautiful golden brown hue, add the sherry wine and beef stock. Continue to cook until all of the liquid evaporates. We don't want a wet filling, or it will make the pastry soggy.
Cool the onions and combine them with sour cream, gruyère, thyme, and pepper.
Sorry folks, there isn't a healthier substitute for sour cream for this French onion galette. But at this point, who's looking for healthy?
Step 3: Putting it all together
Now, it's time to put together the galette. Lightly dust a clean work counter with flour and roll out the pastry dough until it's about ⅛-inch thick.
Recipe tip
Keep the edges of the galette dough thinner, closer to 1/16-inch thick. We will fold over the edges, so we don't want the crust to be too thick.
Spread the filling, leaving a 1-inch border for the edges. Then, brush the edges with egg wash, and sprinkle parmesan crust for extra umami.
Pop the galette in the oven on the lower rack to prevent the top from turning too dark. Continue to bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Remove the galette from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before digging in.
This French onion galette is nothing like French onion dip, but the inspiration resulted in something fabulous. The crust is so buttery and flaky and is the perfect vessel for the savory and sweet onions. Excuse me while I stuff my face with this amazing galette...
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can make the onion filling and pie dough 2 days ahead of time.
- Store: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the crust again. Avoid microwaving, as it will make the crust soggy.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. If you're short on time, a store-bought pie crust will work fine. You'll miss out on the parmesan flavor in the homemade version, but it's a great time-saver.
Dry white wine, dry vermouth, or even a splash of balsamic vinegar would work.
It's best to freeze before baking. Assemble the galette, freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then wrap well. Bake from frozen, adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
More galette recipes
Looking for more galette ideas? Try these:
Leonie says
I loved this galette! It was my first time making a savory one and it was sooooo good!
Christine Ma says
Amazing, so glad it was a success!