Rustic free-form pastry with buttery, flaky crust filled with spinach, beyaz peynir, and egg — a laid-back Turkish take on the French galette for a casual lunch or mezze.
A galette is the most forgiving of all pastry preparations — there is no crimping, no tart tin, no anxiety about the crust breaking. You simply roll the pastry into a rough circle, pile the filling in the center leaving a border, fold the edges over, and bake. The result is deliberately imperfect and beautiful for it. This Turkish-flavored version uses a buttery, slightly crumbly shortcrust pastry enriched with olive oil (a distinctly Mediterranean adaptation) and fills it with a classic combination beloved across Turkish and Greek cooking: wilted spinach, crumbled beyaz peynir (or feta), a crack of egg broken directly onto the filling, and a scatter of nigella seeds (çörek otu) pressed into the pastry edge. The olive oil shortcrust has different properties than pure butter pastry — it is slightly less flaky but more tender, more robust, and extremely simple to make since there is no chilling time required. The spinach must be completely dry before going on the pastry — wet spinach produces a soggy base that undermines the whole dish. This is achieved by wilting fresh or frozen spinach, squeezing it with extraordinary thoroughness, then seasoning with garlic and lemon. The whole galette takes about 45 minutes from start to finish including the bake, making it the ideal impromptu lunch or dinner when you want to make something beautiful without much effort.
Serves 4
Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Rub the cold butter cubes into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Add olive oil and mix. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just comes together — it should not be sticky. Shape into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
If using fresh spinach, wilt in a dry pan over medium heat, then turn into a colander and press with a spoon. Then gather in a clean cloth and wring repeatedly until no more liquid comes out. If using frozen, thaw completely and wring dry. Mix the squeezed spinach with garlic, lemon zest, one beaten egg, and black pepper. Fold in the crumbled cheese.
Squeeze the spinach far more than you think necessary — residual moisture is the number one cause of a soggy pastry base.
Preheat oven to 200°C. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a rough circle about 35cm in diameter. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the spinach filling over the center, leaving a 5-6cm border. Make a well in the center of the filling and crack one egg directly into it.
Fold the pastry border up and over the edges of the filling, pleating as you go. The center remains open. Brush the pastry border with beaten egg wash. Press nigella seeds firmly into the egg-washed border.
Bake at 200°C for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden brown and the egg in the center is just set with a slightly runny yolk. Cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
The egg broken on top of the filling is the visual centerpiece — break it gently to avoid an uneven presentation.
Cold butter and minimal handling gives the best flaky pastry texture — don't over-work the dough.
Nigella seeds (çörek otu) are distinctively Turkish and add a slightly onion-like, faintly bitter flavor that works beautifully against the cheese and pastry.
Roasted tomato galette: replace the spinach filling with sliced roasted tomatoes, basil, and kaşar cheese.
Mushroom version: sautéed wild mushrooms with thyme and garlic make an excellent meat-free alternative filling.
Sweet galette: make the pastry without salt, fill with roasted stone fruits and honey for a dessert galette.
Galette is best eaten the day it is baked. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated in a 180°C oven for 8-10 minutes to restore crispness. The pastry softens significantly overnight.
The galette concept — a free-form flat bread or pastry — has parallels in Turkish börek tradition, where flat pastry preparations have been made for centuries. This particular hybrid draws on both French galette techniques (free-form folded crust) and the classic Turkish spinach-feta combination fundamental to börek and pide. The fusion reflects the international culinary exchanges that shaped modern Turkish home cooking in urban centers.
Yes — the pastry disc can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for 2 months. Bring to cool room temperature before rolling. The filled galette can also be assembled up to 4 hours before baking and refrigerated unbaked.
The dough may be too dry (add a tiny splash more water) or overworked (it'll get tough). If tears appear during rolling, simply patch them by pressing the torn edges together with your finger — the rustic appearance is part of the galette's charm.
Per serving (250g / 8.8 oz) · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.