This Potato Galette is an elegant, savory tart with thinly sliced Yukon Gold potatoes layered with caramelized shallots, fresh thyme, Parmesan, and creamy Boursin cheese, all wrapped in a buttery, flaky pastry crust. I started making this when I wanted a side dish that looked impressive enough for company but wasn't complicated to put together, and it's become my go-to for dinner parties and holiday meals. The crust is tender and crisp, the potatoes are soft and flavorful, and the cheese melts into everything and creates this rich, savory filling.
If you love impressive, flavorful recipes, you'll also want to try my Lemon Basil Sorbet, Easter Egg Cheesecake, and for something sweet, my Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Rolls.
Why You'll Love This Potato Galette
Elegant and impressive. This looks like a fancy French bakery dish but is surprisingly simple to make.
Buttery, flaky crust. The homemade pastry is tender, crisp, and flavored with fresh thyme.
Rich and savory filling. Layers of thinly sliced potatoes, caramelized shallots, and melted cheese create a delicious, satisfying filling.
Rustic and forgiving. Galettes are meant to look casual and homemade, so you don't need perfect pastry skills.
Vegetarian and versatile. Serve it as a main course or as a side dish alongside roasted chicken or steak.
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Potato Galette ingrediants
Here's everything you need to make this elegant, savory Potato Galette.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
Galette Dough:
- Flour: The base of the pastry dough. All-purpose flour works perfectly.
- Unsalted butter: Frozen and cut into small cubes, cold butter creates a flaky, tender crust. Keep it very cold until you're ready to use it.
- Egg yolks: Add richness and help bind the dough together.
- Kosher salt: Seasons the dough and enhances the other flavors.
- Granulated sugar: Just a touch of sugar balances the savory flavors and helps the crust brown.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme leaves add an herby, earthy flavor to the dough.
- Ice-cold water: Brings the dough together. Make sure it's very cold.
Potato Filling:
- Shallots: Thinly sliced and sautéed until soft and sweet, shallots add a mild onion flavor.
- Unsalted butter: For sautéing the shallots until they're golden and caramelized.
- Kosher salt: Divided between the shallots and the potato mixture. Seasons everything.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: Thinly sliced, Yukon Gold potatoes have a buttery flavor and creamy texture. They're perfect for galettes.
- Olive oil: Coats the potatoes and helps them cook evenly.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme leaves add an herby flavor that complements the potatoes beautifully.
- Shredded Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty, nutty flavor and helps bind the filling.
- Grainy mustard: Adds a subtle tang and depth to the potato filling.
- Boursin cheese: A creamy, garlicky cheese that melts into the potatoes and adds richness. You can find it in the specialty cheese section.
How to Make Potato Galette
- Make dough: In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, kosher salt, thyme leaves, and cold butter cubes. Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolks and ice-cold water and pulse until the dough resembles wet sand with pea-sized bits of butter.
- Chill dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a disk with your hands. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes. This chilling time allows the butter to firm up and makes the dough easier to roll out.
- Prepare filling, shallots: While the dough chills, heat the butter in a skillet or pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced shallots and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened and lightly golden.
- Prepare filling, potatoes: Use a mandolin slicer to slice the potatoes into very thin rounds, about ⅛-inch thick. Rinse the potato slices in cold water to remove excess starch, then pat them completely dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
- Roll dough: Remove the chilled dough from the fridge. On a piece of parchment paper, roll the dough out into a 14-inch circle. It doesn't have to be perfect. Transfer the parchment paper with the rolled dough onto a baking sheet.
- Assemble galette: Sprinkle the Boursin cheese in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edges. Layer the potato filling over the Boursin, spreading it evenly but still leaving that 2-inch border.
- Egg wash: Whisk one egg yolk in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to brush it over the folded pastry edges. This will give the crust a beautiful golden color as it bakes.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crisp and the potatoes are tender.
- Cool and serve: Remove the galette from the oven and let it cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack.
Substitutions and Variations
Different potatoes: Use sweet potatoes for a sweeter version, or try a mix of regular and sweet potatoes.
Add leeks: Substitute or add sautéed leeks along with the shallots for a classic potato-leek combination.
Different cheese: Use goat cheese, Gruyere, or fontina instead of Boursin.
Add bacon: Sprinkle cooked, crumbled bacon over the potatoes before folding the crust.
Make it vegan: Use vegan butter in the crust and skip the cheese, or use vegan cheese alternatives.
Try different herbs: Substitute fresh rosemary or sage for the thyme.
Equipment
Food processor: Makes the dough come together quickly and evenly.
Rolling pin: For rolling out the dough into a circle.
Mandolin slicer: Essential for slicing the potatoes paper-thin and evenly. A sharp knife works but takes longer.
Baking sheet: For baking the galette.
Parchment paper: Prevents sticking and makes it easy to transfer the galette.
Pastry brush: For brushing the egg wash on the crust.
Skillet or pan: For sautéing the shallots.
Cooling rack: For cooling the galette slightly before slicing.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Refrigerator: Store leftover galette wrapped in foil or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: You can freeze the unbaked galette. Assemble it completely, then freeze on the baking sheet until solid. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.
Reheating: Reheat slices in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes until warmed through and the crust is crisp again. The microwave will make the crust soggy.
Make ahead: You can make the dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it wrapped in the fridge. You can also assemble the galette a few hours ahead and keep it refrigerated until ready to bake.
Serving Suggestions
With a green salad: Serve with a simple arugula or mixed greens salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette.
As a side dish: Pair with roasted chicken, grilled steak, or baked fish.
For brunch: Serve warm slices alongside scrambled eggs and fresh fruit.
With soup: Pair with a bowl of tomato soup or butternut squash soup for a cozy meal.
Expert Tips
Keep the butter cold. Cold butter creates a flaky crust. If it starts to soften while you work, put the dough back in the fridge for a few minutes.
Slice potatoes evenly. A mandolin slicer ensures the potatoes are all the same thickness, which means they'll cook evenly.
Dry the potatoes well. Excess moisture will make the crust soggy. Pat the potato slices very dry after rinsing.
Don't worry about perfect edges. Galettes are meant to look rustic and homemade. Fold the crust however feels natural.
Let it cool slightly. The galette is easier to slice and the filling sets better if you let it cool for 5 minutes before cutting.
Use parchment paper. Rolling the dough on parchment makes it easy to transfer to the baking sheet without tearing.
FAQ
A potato galette is a French-style free-form tart made with thinly sliced potatoes layered inside a buttery pastry crust. Unlike a traditional pie, a galette doesn't require a pie pan. The dough is rolled out flat, the filling is piled in the center, and the edges are folded over in a rustic, casual way. It's savory, elegant, and can be served as a side dish or vegetarian main course.
To cook a potato galette, make a buttery pastry dough and chill it while you prepare the filling. Thinly slice potatoes and toss them with sautéed shallots, cheese, herbs, and seasonings. Roll out the dough, layer the filling in the center, and fold the edges over. Brush the crust with egg wash and bake at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes until the crust is golden and the potatoes are tender. Let it cool slightly before slicing and serving.
A galette is a French term for a flat, round, free-form pastry. Galettes can be sweet or savory and are made by rolling out dough, adding filling to the center, and folding the edges over in a rustic style. Unlike pies or tarts, galettes don't require a pan and are intentionally imperfect and casual-looking. Sweet galettes often feature fruit, while savory galettes use vegetables, cheese, and herbs.
Pomme galette is French for "potato galette." "Pomme" means potato and "galette" means flat cake or pastry. It refers to a savory tart made with thinly sliced potatoes baked in a pastry crust. In French cuisine, pomme galette can also refer to potato pancakes or other potato-based dishes, but in the context of pastry, it specifically means a potato-filled free-form tart.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Potato Galette
Potato Galette
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, salt, thyme, and cold butter until pea-sized crumbs form. Add egg yolks and ice water; pulse until dough resembles wet sand.
- Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill 30–45 minutes.
- For filling, heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Add shallots and ½ teaspoon salt; sauté 5 minutes until softened. Remove from heat.
- Thinly slice potatoes using a mandolin. Place in a bowl of cold water, rinse, and pat dry.
- In a clean bowl, combine potatoes, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, cooked shallots, thyme, Parmesan, and mustard. Toss to coat.
- Remove dough from fridge and roll on parchment into a 14-inch circle. Place parchment with dough on baking sheet.
- Spread Boursin cheese in center of dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Add potato filling on top. Fold edges over filling, overlapping and pressing gently to seal.
- Whisk one egg yolk and brush over folded edges of dough.
- Bake 35–40 minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp.
- Let galette cool 5 minutes on a cooling rack before slicing. Serve with a side salad.
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