Galettes Bretonnes (Savoury Pancakes)
Buckwheat pancakes with a nutty, earthy flavour and crisp lacy edges, folded into a square around vegetarian ham, melted Gruyère and an egg cracked straight onto the galette. This is what Saturday lunch smells like in Brittany.
Ingredients
For the galette batter
- 250 gr buckwheat flour
- 1 egg
- 500 ml water cold
- 20 g unsalted butter plus extra for the pan
- 1 pinch salt
For the filling
- 12 plant based ham
- 120 gr Gruyère cheese or Emmental
- 4 egg
- black pepper freshly ground
- 1 handful chives
- 120 gr baby spinach optional
Instructions
1. Prepare the batter
- Pour your buckwheat flour and salt into a large bowl. Crack your egg into the middle, then whisk with roughly half the water. Once the mixture is smooth, add the remaining water gradually. Pour in the melted butter and whisk well. Let your batter rest, covered, for at least 1 hour.
2. Bake the galettes
- Heat your pan on medium-high and lightly grease it with butter. Give the batter a quick whisk then ladle a generous amount into the pan, swirl until evenly coated.
3. Fill your galette
- Once the top looks set and the edges begin to lift, lay on 1 slice of vegetarian ham and, if using, a sprinkle of spinach. Crack an egg in the middle, season with black pepper, sprinkle your cheese (leaving the yolk showing) and cover with a lid. The lid really does the magic here, helping the egg white set and the cheese melt. If you're unsure, you can also fry your eggs separately and slide them on top of your pancake.
4. Fold your galette
- Fold in the edges of the galette so you have a neat square or diamond with the yolk visible. Leave for a further minute if you fancy your egg set, or plate up right away for a runny centre.
5. Serve
- Repeat with the remaining batter and filling. Serve immediately, piping hot with fresh chives on top!
Notes
- Resting the batter makes a world of difference to texture and taste. It gives the flour time to hydrate so you’ll get those signature lacy galette edges.
- The first pancake is always a touch suspect, so don’t despair! A well-heated pan and confident swirl get you a gorgeous, thin galette worthy of a French crêperie.