Tomato galette: A showstopper for your last perfect tomatoes

Still staring at those last perfect tomatoes in your garden? Don’t just make sauce — make a galette and show them off!

Meet your new hero: the tomato galette. This rustic, golden-crusted beauty is the perfect way to showcase the final harvest of summer tomatoes before the season slips away.

High-impact, low-effort, especially with store-bought dough. But for kitchen bragging rights, I’ve included the homemade version, too.

A galette feels effortless yet impressive. It’s rustic and approachable, no perfect edges or lattice required, just flavors that speak for themselves.

Heirloom tomatoes star, Parmesan melts into a savory layer, garlic adds a gentle punch and fresh herbs brighten it all, making this galette taste like it came from a fancy bakery — even if it’s ready in about an hour.

This galette is perfect warm or at room temperature, ideal for a casual lunch, picnic or light supper. Pair it with a simple green salad, a bowl of chilled soup or slice it into thin wedges for a lovely appetizer.

This recipe is a gentle reminder that some of life’s best things are simple: ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, a little cheese and the pleasure of sharing a beautiful dish with those you love.

Tomato Galette

If rolling your own dough feels unappealing, no worries. Store-bought pie dough works beautifully and is my go-to when life gets busy.

Servings: 2 to 4

Ingredients

For the Easy Way:

1 sheet store-bought pie dough (or homemade)

For the Filling:

1 1/2 pounds variety of heirloom and/or cherry tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 teaspoon table salt

1 cup (4 ounces by weight) Parmesan cheese, finely shredded

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1/2 small shallot, thinly sliced

1 large egg, beaten

Flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped basil or tarragon

Procedure

Prep the Oven and Tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes and salt in a bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes to release some juice, then drain well on paper towels.

Assemble the Galette: Roll your dough, store-bought or homemade, on lightly floured parchment to a 14-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet with the parchment. Scatter cheese over the dough, focusing most on the center 6 inches. Layer the tomatoes on top. Top with garlic and shallot. Fold the edges of the dough over, overlapping to create the border; brush dough with beaten egg. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Chill in freezer for 10 minutes.

Bake and Finish: Bake until crust is golden and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool slightly, then sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Homemade Pie Dough

If you want the full chef experience, here’s how to make your own dough from scratch.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled butter, cut into pieces

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup ice water (plus more if needed)

Procedure

Pulse 2 cups flour and kosher salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with a few pea-size chunks of butter.

Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with vinegar and 1/4 cup ice water. Stir with a fork, adding more water by the tablespoon if needed, just until a shaggy dough forms.

Lightly knead on a floured surface; don’t overwork it. Pat into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill at least 2 hours before using.