These Personal Runny Egg and Caramelized Onion Brunch Galettes are as delicious to eat as they are attractive to serve. A galette is a freeform French pastry with rustic edges, and it’s supposed to be imperfect - making it ideal for beginner bakers. In this galette recipe, a runny egg tops jammy caramelized onions and a thin smear of tart crème fraiche.

Ingredients

Galette Dough

• 250 grams unbleached all purpose flour
• 15 grams white sugar
• 4 grams kosher salt, preferably Diamond Crystal
• 250 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
• 120 grams cold water
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Caramelized onions

• 55 grams unsalted butter
• 3 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sweet white wine
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Assembly

• 8 ounces crème fraiche 
• 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped
• Flaky sea salt 
• 7 large eggs 
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions

Step 1

Mix all the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add all of the cold butter to the bowl and toss the chunks with the flour. Using your fingers, begin pressing the butter into medium-sized flat pieces. Next, add the cold water and apple cider vinegar. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, stir everything together until it forms a ball. Check the dough temperature with a digital instant-read thermometer - refrigerate for 10 minutes if the temperature goes above 65 degrees. 

On a well-floured work surface, roll your dough into a large rectangle. Using a bench scraper, fold the dough in half and roll it into a large rectangle (again). Repeat the process three to four additional times. There should still be large, visible pieces of butter in your dough. Using a scale, divide the dough into eight equal balls. Wrap each dough ball tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Step 2

Make the caramelized onions: In a heavy-bottomed skillet or pot, melt 55 grams of unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Add all of the onions and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook for approximately an hour, stirring occasionally and adding white wine if onions begin to stick or dry out. Once thick and jammy, check flavor and add additional salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Refrigerate overnight in a tightly covered container.

Step 3

Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly dust a nonstick work surface with flour and begin rolling out your pre-portioned dough balls into a round approximately 8 inches in diameter - rough edges are fine and even recommended. Working quickly, smear each round with 1 tablespoons of crème fraiche - leaving about a 1-inch border. Top each pastry with 1 heaping tablespoon of caramelized onions. Gently pull up and fold the edges over the filling, leaving the center mostly exposed. Place each galette on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 45 minutes — preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 4

Beat a whole egg with a tablespoon of cold cream in a small bowl. Before placing the galettes in the oven, brush the pastry edges with the egg-cream mixture and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake the galettes for 25-35 minutes, or until lightly brown. Once the galettes have reached the desired brownness, remove them from the oven and carefully crack a single egg into the center of each pastry. Place the sheet pan back into the oven and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes. The egg yolk should be slightly runny, and the white should be set. Sprinkle flaky sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and finely chopped parsley onto the egg. Serve immediately.