Difference Between a Pie and a Galette


Kitchen Knowledge Lifestyle | Published October 5, 2023 by Mimi Council

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Pie season is here and as your feed gets blown up with recipes, you may see galettes popping up in addition to pies. And you may be wondering the difference between a pie and a galette.

Let’s dive into each of these beautiful flaky pastries so you can fully understand each and learn the difference between a pie and a galette. Spoiler alert — there’s just one thing that makes them different!

honey apple galette

What is a pie?

A pie is a baked dish (sweet or savory) that has a pasty bottom and sometimes a top! Pies can be filled with sweet things like blueberries, apples, or chocolate. A pie can also be filled with savory ingredients like my Chicken Pot Pie!

What is a galette?

The word galette comes from the Norman word “gale”, which means flat cake. It became used in French pasty to describe a pie that does not require a pan because it is baked flat on a baking sheet. A galette is usually made up of the same crust as a pie, buttery and flaky pastry. And it can be filled with sweet or savory, like my Blueberry Almond Galette or my Mini Greek Galettes.

What is the difference between a pie and a galette?

So, the only difference between a pie and a galette is… yep, the pie pan! If you have a traditional All Butter Pie Crust or Sourdough Pie Crust, you can use that dough to make either a pie or a galette!

orange blossom honey apple pie

Is it easier to make a pie or a galette?

A galette is much easier to make than a pie! It is much easier because it’s much more freeform. After rolling out the dough, just place it on a parchment lined baking sheet, as opposed to forming it into the pie pan. After it’s topped with the filling, you just fold over the crust a bit to create the boarder. This is much easier and faster than forming the pie dough to the pan, rolling out a second pie dough for the top, topping a pie, and fluting the edges. This is one of the reasons why I love making galettes!

Do pies or galettes have crispier crusts?

If you’re looking to avoid that soggy bottom, then opt for making a galette instead of a pie. Depending on your pie pan, if you parbaked your crust, or if you live at high altitude, it can be easy to end up with a soggy pie crust.

This is because the bottom pie crust may not be baked through due to not par baking. It can also happen from using a pie pan that does not cook the crust fully. This can easily happen with glass or ceramic pie dishes! So always be sure to use aluminum or cast iron for best results. And it can also happen at high altitudes as pies can cook faster.

But if you’re making a galette, the crust is flat on the baking sheet and it cooks much better, leaving you with a buttery, flaky and crisp crust. You’re way less likely to end up with a soggy bottom.

honey apple galette

Can I make a galette out of any pie recipe?

Most pie recipes can easily be made into a galette instead. Simple fruit pies like traditional apple pie, blueberry pie, strawberry pie, mixed berry pie, peach pie, these are all great options to make into a galette if you prefer!

If a pie has a custard filling or liquid filling like a pudding pie or pumpkin pie, then those fillings need the structure and walls of a pie pan. So don’t use these recipes for a galette.

The only thing to remember when making a pie recipe into a galette is that you don’t need a top. So, usually you need less pie dough. And you can usually get two galette crusts out of a recipe that makes a traditional top and bottom pie crust.

orange blossom honey apple pie

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