French Galette Bretonne with Ham, Egg and Gruyère

About This Recipe

Galettes are the savory counterpart to sweet French crepes, made from buckwheat flour instead of wheat, and they're a specialty of Brittany in northwestern France, traditionally cooked on a large flat griddle called a billig. The batter is thinner and the flavor earthier and slightly nutty compared to a wheat crepe, which pairs naturally with savory fillings like ham, cheese and egg — the classic "complète" combination.\n\nThe technique that matters is letting the buckwheat batter rest for at least an hour, ideally longer, which lets the flour fully hydrate and relaxes the gluten so the galette cooks up thin and pliable rather than tearing. The classic fold — cracking an egg directly onto the cooking galette and folding the edges in toward the center to form a square, leaving the yolk visible in the middle — is part of the presentation as much as the technique.\n\nServe hot off the pan, ideally with a simple green salad on the side and a glass of Breton cider, the traditional pairing.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.5 cupsbuckwheat flour
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt
• 2eggs(for the batter)
• 2.5 cupswater(plus more as needed)
• 2 tbspbutter(melted, plus more for cooking)
• 4eggs(for filling, one per galette)
• 8 slicesham
• 1.5 cupsgrated Gruyère cheese
• 2 tbspfresh chives(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Whisk buckwheat flour and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the 2 eggs, then gradually whisk in water until the batter is smooth and thin, about the consistency of heavy cream.

2. 2

   Rest

   Cover and let the batter rest at room temperature at least 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight for best texture.

   Don't skip the resting time — buckwheat flour needs it to fully hydrate, and an unrested batter tears easily when you try to flip or fold the galette.

3. 3

   Cook the galette

   Heat a large nonstick or crepe pan over medium heat and brush with melted butter. Pour in a thin layer of batter, swirling to coat the pan evenly. Cook 2 minutes until the edges lift and the surface looks dry.

4. 4

   Add the fillings

   Scatter cheese and ham over the galette. Crack an egg directly into the center and let it cook 1-2 minutes until the white starts to set but the yolk is still runny.

5. 5

   Fold

   Fold the four edges of the galette in toward the center, forming a square and leaving the egg yolk visible in the middle. Cook 1-2 more minutes until the cheese melts fully.

6. 6

   Serve

   Slide onto a plate, scatter with chives, and serve immediately while the yolk is still soft.

Variations

• •

  Skip the egg for a simpler ham-and-cheese galette, still folded the same way.

• •

  Add sauteed mushrooms to the filling for an earthier, more autumnal version.

• •

  Use smoked salmon and crème fraîche instead of ham and egg for a different, equally traditional filling combination.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked galettes (without the runny egg) for up to 2 days. Reheat in a dry skillet over low heat until warmed through — the buckwheat crepe re-crisps nicely.

Frequently Asked Questions