Book Ten: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

Recipe: Winter Squash Galette

Mmmmm.....the scent of yeast when it's proofing and baking! I need to take up bread making. I used to pass up any recipes that called for yeast for it had always intimidated me; until this past November when I tried my hand at making Parker House Rolls; which I have to admit were to die for. So when this recipe gave me the choice of making Yeasted Tart Dough or Galette Dough (no yeast) I chose the former.

After baking the squash, there seemed to be a lot of liquid, not only on the tray, but in the bowl of which the flesh was placed after scooping it from the skin. I was concerned that all this liquid would make for a soggy crust. I placed the squash flesh into a strainer and let it drain while I cooked the onion/sage mixture. It still looked to have a bit of liquid in it, so I placed paper towels on it to soak up as much as I could.

As you can see in the picture below, my dough stretched considerably as I transferred it from my workspace to the baking sheet. I tried as I have in the past with tart dough, to roll it onto itself over the rolling pin, but it felt too sticky even with extra flour so I quickly moved it to the pan, but not quick enough! So my galette turned out oblong instead of round. Just as well, for I would not have had a large enough round plate to hold the galette.

All stages of this recipe smelled so good, from proofing of the yeast to the finished product coming out of the oven. However I must be loosing my taste buds. The flavors just were not as strong as I thought they should be. Maybe more sage next time and a sprinkle of coarse salt onto the dough after it has been brushed with the beaten egg.

Success meter (1-3): 3

Winter Squash Galette

Yeasted Tart Dough with Olive Oil (recipe to follow)

2 ½ lbs winter squash, such as butternut

1 small head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled

1 Tbl. olive oil, plus extra for the squash

1 onion, finely diced

12 fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 2 tsp. dried

½ cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan

Salt and freshly milled pepper

1 egg, beaten

Make the dough. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds, and brush the cut surface with oil. Stuff the garlic into the cavities and place the squash cut side down on a sheet pan. Bake until the flesh is tender, about 40 minutes. Scoop out the squash and squeeze the garlic cloves.  Mash them together with a fork until fairly smooth, leaving some texture.

Warm 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sage and cook until the onion is soft and beginning to color, about 12 minutes. Add it to the squash along with the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roll out the dough into a 14-inch circle and spread the filling over it, leaving a border of 2 inches or more. Pleat the dough over the filling, then brush the edges with beaten egg. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes.

Yeasted Tart Dough with Olive oil

2 tsp. active dry yeast

½ tsp. sugar

½ cup warm water

3 Tbl. olive oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/8 tsp. salt

1 ¾ cups flour, as needed

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water in a medium bowl and let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Add the oil, egg, and salt, then stir in the flour. When the dough is too stiff to work with a spoon, turn it onto the counter and knead until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Add more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking. Set the dough in an oiled bowl, turn it over to coat, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to an hour. Turn the dough out. Roll it into a thin circle and use it to line a tart or pie pan or to make a free-form galette. (For individual tarts, divide it into 6 pieces, shape into ball, and let rest under a towel for 15 minutes before rolling them out.)