1cupflour (I use whole spelt, but all purpose or whole wheat are fine, too)
1/2teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonsugar
1stickunsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2" cubes(4 oz.)
1/2cupliquid sourdough starter (mine was at room temperature, but chilled starter would probably be even better)(4 oz.)
Huckle-pear galette
1 1/4lbs.firm-ripe pears, cored, in 1/4 slices (ok to leave the skin on)
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
1/4vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 - 4tablespoonssugar (depending on sweetness of fruit)
1/4teaspoonsalt
juice of half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
2cupsfresh or frozen huckleberries
1tablespooncoarse turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
Sourdough pate brisee
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the butter and work with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger, pea-sized chunks remaining. Gradually add the starter tossing the mixture with a rubber spatula or your hands, pressing it against the sides of the bowl, until the dough barely holds together when squeezed. You may not need all the starter, or you may need to add more.
Gather the dough into a ball, put it in a plastic bag, and squash it into a 6" disc. Chill at least 1 hour, or up to a couple days, or freeze for up to two months.
Huckle-pear galette
Preheat the oven to 400ยบ, with only the bottom rack in place. If you have a baking stone, place it on the rack to heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment, and (optionally) set a 9" cake ring or springform pan, with the bottom removed, on top. Set aside.
In a 10" skillet over medium heat, cook the butter with the vanilla bean until it browns and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Add the pears and saute until firm-tender, a few minutes. Remove from the heat and toss in the sugar, salt and lemon juice to your taste. Set aside.
Remove the dough from the fridge, and let soften at room temp for about 10 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out into a 12" round; it will be fairly thin. Lay it in the cake ring, lifting to settle the dough into the corners, letting the edges drape over the sides. Place the pears and their juices on top of the pastry and add the berries. Gently toss with your hands to distribute evenly. Fold the edges of the dough loosely over the galette. Sprinkle the whole galette with the coarse sugar. Place in the oven, on the baking stone, and bake until the crust browns and the juices bubble thickly. Remove the ring and let cool slightly.
Notes
My pastry teacher at Tante Marie's, Claire Legas, taught us a handy technique to make a galette perfectly round and a bit less flat using a cake ring or springform pan with the bottom removed. Lacking one of those, you can make the galette free-form. It will still kick ass.If you are lucky enough to have perfectly ripe pears, skip the sauteing step and just toss the pears with the vanilla brown butter and so forth. If you are without huckles, try this combination with all pears, or use apples and blackberries.Nutritional values are based on one serving