Nothing says summer like a handheld tomato galette

Bonus! Just for you, loyal Bake Club-ers, this month we’re sharing a gift link to the recipe for you to share with a loved one to bake along with you. The more galettes, the merrier!

Hey BA Bake Club-ers, happy June! Your eyes don’t deceive you: This month’s recipe was not developed by your fearless leaders Shilpa and Jesse; rather by me, Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen editor at Bon Appétit and fellow obsessive baker. My lovely colleagues kindly passed the mic to me for this edition of Bake Club, which centers on tiny tomato galettes.

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My galette credentials: I’m someone who had so many thoughts about the freeform pastries, I literally wrote a book about them. (Consider gifting a copy to a baker you love!) I’ve developed well over 50 sweet and savory galette recipes over the years, and this one for Bake Club is brand new.

You probably know galettes as one large pastry, typically filled with a sweet fruit filling, sliced into wedges and served with ice cream. And those are great. But here’s a secret: I’ll take a savory galette over one for dessert any day. More fun yet, the dough can be rolled and cut into any size—from extra large, filling a whole sheet pan, to small enough to neatly fit in your hand. And the filling options are nearly as flexible. If you can dream it, you can probably galette it.

Picture tomato toast, a beloved summer tradition. It starts with toast slicked with a creamy spread (maybe seasoned with a little garlic or spicy condiment), but nothing is taking your mind off the main event: juicy slabs of summer tomato. Now, imagine instead of an open-faced sandwich, it’s a pastry. With a shatteringly crisp, pepper-flecked crust and a cheesy, herby filling. Of course, it’s bedecked with a thick slice of tomato, baked until the inherent sweetness intensifies.

Making these little galettes requires some focused attention. You must rub the crust’s butter into the flour just enough (into chickpea-sized pieces) so it forms flaky layers in the oven; but don’t overdo it, which makes the dough more crumbly. Locate a 6-inch bowl or plate (or order a cutter while it’s on your mind) to punch out the small dough rounds. Use your fingers to delicately pleat each little pastry’s edges; then give it a nice long bake to avoid soggy bottoms at all costs (more on that next week). If anyone can execute the challenge, it’s you, fellow Bake Club friends.

I’ll be stepping in for Jesse and Shilpa in the Substack office hours this month, so hit me with any and all galette questions! And as always, let us know how it goes on the recipe page, in the Epicurious app, or in our chat here on Substack. We love to hear from you.