Galette Black Walnut Bakery In Minneapolis

Pie is for perfectionists.

A galette, on the other hand, is for unflappably cool Parisians, who while away the hours at sidewalk cafés. Hell, the word galette just sounds more relaxed.

Less fussy than its uptight, overly structured cousin, the galette's self-contained free form is entirely forgiving. Even misshapen folds or berry-stained crusts look good on a galette. And because filling options are endless, the dessert is a year-round crowd-pleaser.

When we decided to get our hands dirty, we knew exactly who to ask for a killer recipe: Sarah Botcher of Black Walnut Bakery in Minneapolis, who got her start at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. She shared her go-to cornmeal galette (see the recipe).

For the version she's currently serving at the pop-up bakery, Botcher fills the flaky, sugar-coated crust to the brim with lemon-zested blueberries.

One crust, many options
"Minnesota has such a short growing season compared to the rest of the country," Botcher says. "People go wild during those few months of summer when produce is abundant–which is why they're crazy for this tart."

We can attest to that: It disappeared from our Test Kitchen minutes after coming out of the oven.

But this recipe is hardly restricted to summer. We made four versions to take you through fall–with plums, figs and apples. Swap in your fruit of choice, or scrap the sugar altogether and fill the dough with vegetables for a savory version.

Welcome to the fold.