Equipment
Ingredients
Cheddar-Cornmeal Crust
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g fine yellow cornmeal
- 75 g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 3 g kosher salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 60 ml ice water
Tomato Filling
- 600 g heirloom tomatoes, sliced 5mm thick
- 5 g kosher salt
- 15 g dijon mustard
- 50 g gruyere cheese, grated
- 1 egg, beaten
Honey-Thyme Glaze
- 45 ml honey
- 2 g fresh thyme leaves
- 5 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 g red pepper flakes
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 413 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 40 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 706 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 74 mg
- Potassium
- 337 mg
- Calcium
- 201 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 52 mg
- Phosphorus
- 231 mg
- Zinc
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 203 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 12 mcg
- Water
- 28 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a layer of paper towels. Sprinkle evenly with kosher salt and let rest to pull out excess moisture.
In a food processor, combine the flour, cornmeal, grated cheddar cheese, and kosher salt. Pulse briefly to combine.
Add the cold, cubed butter to the processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
While pulsing, slowly drizzle in the ice water until the dough just begins to clump together. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface, form it into a solid disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Pat the salted tomatoes dry with additional paper towels to remove all surface moisture.
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper to form a 30cm circle.
Spread the dijon mustard evenly over the center of the dough, leaving a clean 4cm border around the edges.
Sprinkle the grated gruyere cheese evenly over the mustard. This creates a fat barrier that protects the crust.
Arrange the dried tomato slices in slightly overlapping concentric circles over the cheese layer.
Fold the 4cm border of dough up and over the outer edges of the tomatoes, pleating the dough as you go. Brush the pleated dough edges with the beaten egg.
Transfer the parchment paper with the tart onto the baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 200°C/400°F until the crust is deep golden brown and the tomatoes are softened and bubbling slightly.
While the tart bakes, combine the honey, fresh thyme, apple cider vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Heat gently over low heat until infused and fluid.
Remove the tart from the oven and immediately drizzle the warm honey-thyme glaze evenly over the exposed tomatoes.
Allow the tart to cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Chef's Notes
- Salting and draining the tomatoes is non-negotiable for a rustic tart. The excess liquid is the primary reason galettes fail.
- Using a mix of colors like yellow, purple, and classic red heirloom tomatoes elevates the visual appeal significantly.
- Keep the butter and ice water as cold as possible. The distinct pockets of butter in the raw dough are what create steam and result in a flaky crust.
- The dijon mustard and gruyere layer provides incredible savory depth, but more importantly, it acts as a waterproof barrier to protect the raw dough from the tomatoes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Crust will lose crispness over time.
Reheating: Reheat slices in a 175C/350F oven for 10 minutes to restore crust texture.
Troubleshooting
Soggy bottom crust
Cause: Tomatoes released too much water during baking or the cheese/mustard barrier was omitted
Fix: Bake for an additional 5-8 minutes on the lowest rack of the oven to help dry out the base.
Prevention: Thoroughly salt, rest, and pat dry the tomatoes before assembling the tart.
Dough cracking severely when rolled
Cause: Dough was not hydrated enough or is too cold straight from the refrigerator
Fix: Patch cracks with scrap dough and pinch together with slightly moistened fingers.
Prevention: Ensure the dough clumps together before chilling. Let refrigerated dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before rolling.
Cultural Context
Rustic tarts, widely known as galettes in French cuisine, originated as a relaxed, free-form alternative to structured pies and tarts. Incorporating cornmeal and sharp cheddar into the crust brings an American Southern influence to the dish, blending classical European technique with New World flavor profiles.
