Last updated on December 29th, 2019
These gluten-free buckwheat galettes (“Galette de Bretagne”) are deliciously versatile. I like to fill them with ham, cheese, and a sunny-side-up egg, just as my friends in Brittany do. For a grab-and-go lunch, you might like to roll a galette around a simple filling of cold cuts, mayonnaise, and lettuce greens. Buckwheat galettes themselves are a cinch to make.
Note #1. A galette is simply a crêpe made with buckwheat flour. You can find buckwheat flour in almost any supermarket. Even my lousy local Hannaford sells the stuff.
Note #2. I’ve experimented with lots of buckwheat galette recipes. The following version, which I take full credit for, produces a thin, attractive, mild-tasting galette. It is perfectly suitable for fillings savory or sweet.
Note #3. Enough chit chat for now. Watch the video above, and then get thee to thine kitchen!
Recipe: Gluten-free Buckwheat Galettes
Crack an egg into a medium bowl…
And violently whisk it into submission.
Then whisk in 1 tablespoon melted butter…
1 cup whole milk…
3/4 teaspoon salt…
1 teaspoon sugar (to neutralize the strong taste of the buckwheat)…
And 1 cup buckwheat flour.
Action shot! Whisk madly to remove any lumps.
Now cover the bowl, and refrigerate the batter overnight. This way, the buckwheat particles will become fully hydrated.
The next morning (or afternoon, if your name is Talullah Bankhead), thin out the batter with 1/2 cup water.
Whisk slowly and steadily until the water is fully incorporated, and the mixture resembles a thin pancake batter.
Cooking the Galettes
Heat a lightly-greased, non-stick skillet over a medium flame, and when the skillet is good and hot, pour on 1/4- to 1/2-cup of the batter.
Immediately tilt the skillet so that the batter forms a thin disk that covers (or nearly covers) the bottom of the pan.
Let the batter sit there until the underside — or “public side” browns attractively — 30-45 seconds.
Then flip the galette to lightly brown the other side. This non-public side will turn spotty brown in about 15 seconds.
Transfer the galette to a wire rack to cool. Then cook the remaining batter, stacking the galettes as they finished. The galettes won’t stick to each other.
The Brittany Brunch Galette
To make the famous Brittany galette of cheese, ham, and egg, proceed as follows:
First, fry an egg sunny-side-up, and season it with salt and pepper. (Fry multiple eggs if you are serving multiple galettes.) Remove the egg(s) to a plate or platter and keep warm.
Wipe out the skillet, add a galette with its public side facing up, and let it warm over medium-low heat.
When the galette is hot, quickly flip it, and then sprinkle on a small handful of shredded Swiss cheese.
After the cheese melts, add a thin slice of ham, and let it warm for just a moment.
Transfer the galette to a plate, and top it off with a fried egg.
Quickly fold over the long sides of the galette.
Then fold over the short sides, to make a square “frame.” Garnish, if you wish, with snipped chives or parsley, and enjoy for breakfast, brunch, or dinner!
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And…here’s the printable:
Gluten-free Buckwheat Galettes
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup water (to thin batter after it has chilled overnight)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg with a wire whisk. Then whisk in the butter, milk, salt, sugar, and flour. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, add the water to the batter. Whisk slowly and steadily to incorporate the water and achieve a thin pancake-like batter.
- Heat a lightly-greased (or sprayed) non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add 1/4 - 1/2 cup (depending on size of skillet) batter. Immediately tilt the skillet to spread the batter and form a disk that covers (or nearly covers) the bottom of the pan. Cook until the galette is attractively browned on the underside -- 30-45 seconds. Then flip the galette to lightly brown the other side -- about 15 seconds. Transfer the galette to a wire rack to cool.
- Cook the remaining batter, stacking the galettes on the wire rack. When completely cool, the galettes can be refrigerated in an air-tight bag for several days. For longer storage, freeze the galettes.
John ARoot says
Looks good, Kevin. We just got home from a trip to Paris and Brittany. We saw and had a crepe that very much resembled this. So very good. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Kate says
Thank you so much, Kevin, for a Gluten free recipe. I was only recently diagnosed with Celiac disease and have been trying to collect recipes for this new and challenging chapter in my life. I have saved and used so many of your delicious recipes over the past few years and am hoping I might be able to adjust some of them to make them Gluten free. But any advice you could give in that regard would be so appreciated!
Enjoy these beautiful and colorful autumn days.
Maraya says
“If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.”
― Tallulah Bankhead
No mistakes in this recipe! Thanks, Kevin.
Rory says
Had to snicker at your Hannafords comment 😉 Thanks for a great recipe!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi John – Now you can relive your Brittany trip right at home. Enjoy!
Hi Kate – My spouse is gluten-intolerant. Consequently there are tons of GF recipes on this site!
Hi Maraya – Talullah was fond of saying “I woke up bright and early this afternoon.” Hence the reference!
Hi Rory – Hope you enjoy the galettes!
Carol H. says
Can these be made with a non-dairy milk (like Almond Milk)? Thanks for all things gluten free but I also gave up dairy and sugar and GMO’s and processed foods (so the ham I think would be out). Eating has gotten a lot more challenging but I feel *so* much better!
Cathy says
Kevin, what’s the difference between a galette and a crepe? This recipe seems very crepe-like
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Carol H – I’ve not tried these galettes with almond milk, but if you do, please report back!
Hi Cathy – In Brittany, where they are extremely popular, buckwheat crepes are known as “galettes.”
Anna Johnson says
Carb count? Looks lovely~!
Lynn Marie says
Bouchard Farm’s buckwheat flour from the St John Valley in far northern Maine – it’s the best. We call the crepe/pancakes/gallettes ployes here. Farm families traditionally put a stack of ployes on the table, to fold up and eat by hand with the meal. And of course ployes are always good with butter and maple syrup for breakfast. I love this recipe idea too!
Linda A says
Hi Kevin,
I look forward to trying this. Thank you!
When I made a print view of the recipe to save as a PDF, I noticed it doesn’t have your
name on it. I have much more confidence in my saved recipes when I know who they’re
coming from and you should definitely take credit for your great recipes.
A Little “fix” to add to your web site?