Serves a Crowd

Slab Galette with Swiss Chard and Gruyère

May 20, 2021
4.3
19 Ratings
Photo by Alexandra Stafford
  • Prep time 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Makes 24 slices
Author Notes

This time of year, if you garden or subscribe to a CSA, chances are you have a few bundles of Swiss chard monopolizing your fridge. This slab galette, which could feed over 20 people as a first course, is a great way to put those bundles to use. The dough, a David Lebovitz recipe, is one of my favorites, flaky and buttery with a nice crunch thanks to the addition of cornmeal. Feel free to use the filling as a guide — thinly sliced tomatoes or other sautéed vegetables would be nice additions. The key, however, is to go light — a thin layer of whatever filling you choose is best. Also, the recipe can be easily halved and made into a more traditionally-shaped free-form galette.

UPDATE: After many issues raised in the comments regarding dough-making trouble, I have adjusted the recipe to say 4 to 8 tablespoons of ice water. Start with 4 tablespoons, and add water by the tablespoon as needed. —Alexandra Stafford

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Galette
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large white onion
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 bunches Swiss chard, stems removed (about 500 grams, post-stemming)
  • 1 Cornmeal Galette Dough
  • 1 cup fresh ricotta
  • 1 cup grated Gruyère or Comté
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon milk or cream
  • Cornmeal pastry dough
  • 2 1/2 cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup (102 g) yellow cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 to 8 tablespoons ice water
Directions
  1. Galette
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Pile the chard on top, cover the pan if you are able, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the leaves begin to wilt. Uncover the pan, use tongs to rearrange the leaves and continue cooking the chard until any liquid evaporates. Taste. This is your chance to season the chard, so add more salt if necessary.
  3. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 375° F. Line a jelly roll pan with with kitchen parchment paper.
  4. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle, about 15- x 21-inches or about an inch or two bigger in length and width than your sheet pan. Flip the dough every so often to ensure it’s not sticking. If it is, dust the surface with more flour. Loosely fold the dough in half and half again and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Unfold the dough and center it to your pan.
  5. Spread a thin layer of ricotta on the bottom of the dough, leaving a two-inch border all the way around. Spread the onion and chard mixture over top in a thin, even layer. Sprinkle the grated cheese over top. Fold the edges of the dough inward over the filling. Pinch together any tears in the dough. Mix together the egg yolk and milk and brush it over the exposed crust.
  6. Bake until the crust has browned and the cheese has melted, 35 to 45 minutes. Slide the galette off the parchment and onto a cooling rack or cutting board. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the galette into 24 pieces. Serve.
  1. Cornmeal pastry dough
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt until blended. Add the chilled butter to the bowl and pulse until it is evenly distributed but still in large, visible pieces. Add the olive oil and pulse a few times. Add 4 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together, adding water by the tablespoon as needed.) Dump dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Roughly shape the dough into a rectangle. Wrap the disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Alternatively, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter using the back of a fork or pastry cutter. Add olive oil and 4 tablespoons of the ice water and mix until dough just comes together, adding ice water as needed.)

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Nancy MacKimm
    Nancy MacKimm
  • Nancy Pollock Cole
    Nancy Pollock Cole
  • Rach
    Rach
  • AntoniaJames
    AntoniaJames
  • sevenfaces
    sevenfaces
I write the blog alexandra's kitchen, a place for mostly simple, sometimes fussy, and always seasonal recipes. My cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs is available everywhere books are sold.

74 Reviews

baker3b October 14, 2023
An additional comment: I overlooked the gradual pulse instructions for the dough, instead running the food processor steadily while letting the olive oil drip into the dry ingredients. I then added just four T of ice water, again in a steady stream. I also just rolled the dough directly IN the parchment-lined baking sheet. The dough turned out fine, needing only a few patch jobs with extra dough.
 
baker3b October 14, 2023
This galette provides not only delicious flavor contrasts between the chard mixture, cheeses, and salty crust. What makes it exceptional is the contrast in textures of the creamy cheeses, meltingly soft chard and toothsome crust. Using what we had on hand, we used soft goat cheese instead of ricotta and a havarti instead of Gruyère. Wonderful!
 
Nancy M. June 21, 2023
Even with the clarification regarding ice water this dough is still impossible. Made it exactly as specified and it fell apart. Had to put it in the baking sheet in pieces and just press it into place.
 
Tartanhabit March 15, 2023
Loved the chard mix but the pastry was too much fuss and a bit of an odd texture. Great topping, will repeat but do a different base.
 
NXL December 25, 2020
Oh, dear. This crust was impossible, although it had great flavor. I had to press it into my pan, then the tart crumbled into pieces when I tried yo cut it.
 
Gail B. December 28, 2020
Keep trying. The first time I made it I missed the olive oil, and had the same results as you. Like Anne, below, I always roll it out on parchment paper now, and it works quite well.
 
Anne M. October 30, 2020
This was delicious. We really enjoyed the cornmeal in the crust. After reading some of the reviews, I rolled it onto parchment paper and successfully transferred it to the pan. I used up all of the swiss chard in the garden ahead of the frost and will be making this again.
 
Nora October 5, 2020
@Wavey I totally get you on consistent weights! 1 tablespoon of butter weighs 14.2g
So this recipe calls for 170.4 grams of butter!
 
Malia July 15, 2020
Oh that pastry.....it doesn't know if its pie dough or shortbread :) I soon realized that there was NO WAY that I was going to get it from the board to the pan (although is was very moist, it kept cracking as I rolled it)...I just put the whole batch in the pan and used the finger press method, Worked great. All I changed in the filling was had a combo of chard and kale. Most importantly, it was DELISH and a hit at the party!
 
Jennifer U. October 12, 2020
After reading the comments on the difficulty of rolling the dough, I laid out a sheet of parchment paper and rolled the dough to roughly the size of my sheet pan then transferred it to the pan. It stayed in one piece with a minor crack when I lifted one corner too quickly but all good!
 
Wavey January 26, 2020
I thought I was a bit of a pastry hero, but this crust is very humbling. I ended up having to cut it into pieces to fit it into the pan. Managed not to cry and the final product is entirely delicious. My son said it was the best thing he'd even in ages. It looks nice too. I will make it again and just persevere with the crust and use even more water, I guess.
For the record I used weight measurements. And desperately wish the butter was also by weight as I don't buy sticks.
 
Larisa November 30, 2019
I made this galette for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely delicious it was gone until even we start our feast😂 my daughter taught me one trick to roll my dough between two parchment papers, you don’t need no flour when you done just remove top paper and transfer your dough on baking sheet, and before you put your filling I put my dough for 10 minutes in refrigerator, ty for lovely recipe and yes I put 8tbsp. Ice water.
 
Nancy P. November 10, 2019
The dough was really, really hard to work with. It kept cracking when rolling. There was no way to fold it to transfer to the sheet pan. I ended up wrapping it around my rolling pin to transfer but it fell to pieces. Finally got it in the pan very much pieced together! The good news - it's a delicious galette! I'll use another dough next time.
 
judy November 9, 2019
I opted out of making the dough, after reading reviews. Instead I bought pizza dough ready made and sprinkled it with cornmeal and some granulated garlic. followed the recipe for the chard exactly. Baked up beautifully, and was seriously delicious for lunch and dinner an some for breakfast the third day. I am in a small makeshift apartment with a kitchenette, so struggling iwht the dough was more than I wanted to do, but I really wanted to try this recipe. I am so glad that I did. Thanks
 
Shirlee August 30, 2021
This is what I plan to do on a second try. The filling, ricotta, and gruyere combination was delicious, and I know I would have enjoyed it more on a traditional pizza crust (maybe whole wheat dough actually). It will be healthier and cheaper. I actually thought "galette" was more like a cracker-ish pizza, and was super disappointed as I started making it that it was like a shortbread, and was much too rich and dry for this filling. Waste of a LOT of butter imho, but that's on me by not reading the recipe before getting started.
 
caarin June 3, 2019
I made this for a backyard bbq -absolutely delicious. I wasn’t sure what type of cornmeal to buy (fine or coarse ground) so I opted for a different crust. I used more ricotta and gruyere than the recipe called for. So glad there was a piece left for breakfast this morning!
 
Alexandra S. June 3, 2019
So happy to hear this Caarin!
 
caarin June 3, 2019
Made this for a backyard bbq - it was a hit! Really delicious. I chickened out of making the dough because I didn’t know what type of cornmeal to buy - so I went with a different crust recipe. I used more ricotta and more gruyere than he recipe called for. So glad there was a piece leftover for breakfast today!
 
Barbara A. December 22, 2017
This was a star recipe although the dough is so dry it is difficult to work with. But the result was that everyone really loved it. Perhaps re-do the dough recipe as I notice others had the same issue.
 
Kitspy November 14, 2017
Halved the recipe and made this using kale and mixed mushrooms. It was supposed to be for a party, but the party was cancelled at the last minute, so we just had it for dinner instead and had some leftovers. Made it on Saturday and I'm eating cold leftovers for lunch on Tuesday - still delicious! I didn't have much trouble with the dough. It was a little crumbly and tricky to shape into a disk using 4 T of water, but I persevered, and it turned out great.
 
Alexandra S. November 14, 2017
So happy to hear this, Kitspy! Kale and mushrooms sounds delicious. Must try.
 
Gail B. September 8, 2017
I had the same problem the first time I made this recipe - I had forgotten to put in the oil. I did have to play around with the pastry recipe a bit after (see my comments below), but you could also use your favourite galette dough recipe and then follow the rest of this recipe. I always get raves when I bring this to a party. Well worth the effort.
 
Karen September 8, 2017
Very disappointed. Made the dough as directed and it was so hard from the refrigerator, had to break it up and knead it to be able to roll it out. Never managed to roll it into a rectangle and ended up putting it in pieces in the cookie sheet and then rolling it. Not as flavorful as I would have expected. Won't make again.
 
Alexandra S. September 8, 2017
Sorry to hear this Karen. This dough is a little tricky. For whatever reason, a half recipe of the dough comes out much better/more easily. It's really one of my favorites when it comes out — the original recipe was for a summer galette with leeks, tomatoes, corn and gruyere, and it is one of my favorite summer recipes. Sorry this didn't work out for you.
 
Gail B. May 5, 2017
I have made this recipe several times. The first time I forgot to add the olive oil. The crust was a little stiff and hard to manage, but tasted delicious. The next time I put in all of the olive oil and found the dough far too soft to handle well. Now I cut the olive oil in half, and am very stingy with the water. I make two smaller tarts and put one (fully assembled) in the freezer. The trick to freezing the tart is to take it straight from the freezer to the hot oven. (My mother taught me this trick) That way the dough doesn't become soft and watery from the thawing contents. I am trying it tonight with kale.
 
Alexandra S. May 8, 2017
Thanks so much for your troubleshooting tips here, Gail! The dough has proved problematic for some, so thank you for sharing your adjustments. LOVE the freezer-to-oven tip ... thanks!
 
Emilie December 15, 2016
I made this for a dinner with friends and it turned out great! It did not turn out as large as mentioned in the author notes, but easily fed 4 of us with a salad.
 
Alexandra S. May 8, 2017
Nice! So happy to hear this, Emilie.
 
Nicola November 2, 2015
Hi Alexandra,
Thanks for all your help. I made this in the tart form and everyone LOVED it! Is there anyway I can post a photo, now that I'm no longer a pastry newbie.
 
Alexandra S. November 2, 2015
So happy to hear this, Nicola! I don't know if there is a way for you to post it here...I'll have to check. Are you on Instagram? Or you could email me? I would love to see the photo: [email protected] Thanks, Nicola!
 
Nicola October 7, 2015
Hi Alexandra,
I"m going to be brave and tackle pastry for the first time. Can I make the pastry in advance, roll and place in a tart pan, dock it and then freeze in advance? I would thaw slowly when ready to bake off.

This looks really good BTW. Trying it out as an appetizer for a girls cocktail party.
 
Alexandra S. October 8, 2015
Absolutely. That's a great idea. And I think thawing slowly is a good idea or the pastry might break when you try to fold the edges over. This makes a great appetizer!
 
Nicola October 8, 2015
Ok, just to be clear, you are suggesting I can make everything in advance, filling and all, freeze and simply thaw slowly in the fridge? I was just planning on doing the crust in one of those fluted tart pans.
 
Alexandra S. October 8, 2015
Oh, ok, so glad you wrote back. I was actually thinking about freezing the dough only ahead of time. You might be able to freeze the whole assembled tart ahead of time, but I am really not the person to ask about these sorts of things — my concern here would be that the greens would release water as they thaw and maybe make the crust soggy? But, I often freeze pie dough, so freezing the docked crust without any filling sounds great. If you want to get ahead on the other steps, definitely sauté the greens ahead and store in the fridge and grate the cheese ahead, too. A fluted pan will be so pretty! You probably could halve the recipe if you're just making one tart shell. I have a half recipe for the shell with this recipe: http://www.alexandracooks.com/2009/09/21/tomato-corn-cheese-galette-a-favorite-summer-meal-with-a-chocolate-chip-cookie-for-dessert/

Good luck! Let me know if there is anything else.
 
Barbara C. August 28, 2015
I want to make this recipe for a party soon. I am not great with dough, though I can make a decent quiche short crust, when I've had some practice. I don't weigh my flour. Can I count on the recipe above? Or do I have to look at the comments for the changes. Also, can you post some alternative vegetable combos? I love Comte/Ricotta. Aside from Spinach, which might not be as earthy as Swiss Chard. Wild mushrooms might be nice. Your photo is gorgeous. Looks delicious.
 
Alexandra S. August 28, 2015
Yes, you can! The dough issues, I think, have been resolved. The key is to only add as much water as necessary to allow the dough to come together. If you are worried, start with 3 tablespoons of water and add more water by the tablespoon until it comes together.

Corn, leek and tomato is an old favorite: www.alexandracooks.com/2009/09/21/tomato-corn-cheese-galette-a-favorite-summer-meal-with-a-chocolate-chip-cookie-for-dessert/

Do you like kale? I feel like kale and mushroom would be nice, something like the topping on these toasts: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/ricotta-kale-and-mushroom-toast?mbid=nl_fig_08062015_Daily&CNDID=8870586

Let me know if there is anything else!
 
Julia C. August 25, 2015
Reading about the dough reminds me of a pizza dough I make that has driven me to distraction. The instructions said to roll it out but it was very moist and soft with the same problems people are writing about, tearing and being unmanageable. By accident, I found stretching it by hand or pressing by hand on a piece of baking parchment a bit larger than the size I want using Saran or a smaller piece of parchment works a treat. It's faster, the dough is handled less, and is fun. I also would make sure the water is really ice cold and only add enough to cause the dough to come together rather than a specified amount stating it could be less or more than 4 Tblsp.
 
Alexandra S. August 28, 2015
Thank you for all of this, Julia! Yes, good point re adding only enough water to allow dough to come together.
 
Rach June 9, 2015
I used the plastic-wrap trick I learned in middle school cooking class with this dough (lay plastic wrap out on your rolling surface, put dough down, put more plastic wrap on top, roll it out and use the plastic wrap to move the dough all in one piece w/o breaking). The dough was very soft though I may have added just a tad too much water to it! Added kale, carrots, and beets from our CSA purchase, as well as soy sauce for saltiness and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The filling is fantastic tasting and I added extra ricotta and gruyere to the filling as well as in their recipe-designated places. I didn't want to fight with a huge galette as we are just two humans, so I made it smaller in size which fit our smaller amount of overall filling.
I also added more salt to the pastry. Maybe a 1/4-1/2 tsp more. And a touch more sugar. Much more flavor to the pastry and we're not watching salt here :)
Overall, it was lovely--the two changes I would make would be to pulse my polenta-coarse cornmeal in a blender to get it a bit finer, and use more gruyere!
 
Alexandra S. June 11, 2015
Yum! Love the sound of all of these variations from the filling to the crust. And yes to more salt and gruyere :)
 
vera May 1, 2015
Made it it almost like the recipe says, only added the nicely fried and seasoned creminis before the cheese went all over the galette, oh and used cheddar since I didn't have the Gruyère. I've seasoned more overall, added some spices (curry, cinnamon, cayanne). The dough was ok, little hard to work with, but made it happen. Definitely will do again!
 
Alexandra S. August 28, 2015
Wonderful to hear this! Love the idea of the creminis.
 
Gleaner January 30, 2015
Made this tonight to great reviews but I think the oil in the dough is what makes the dough fall apart so I patted the rolled dough into two rectangular tart pans: 13.75" x 4.5" and 11.25 "x 8.25". To the softened onions, I added sliced, hot pickled garlic, and finely chopped chard stems. Once softened, added the sliced chard and wilted it. Mixed the ricotta (@1.5 cups) with the egg and folded into the cooled greens. There was only enough filling for the larger pan. The crust came out soft, slightly crumbly and complemented the chard.
 
Alexandra S. August 28, 2015
Nice, and I think you might be right about the oil. Next time I make it, I will decrease the amount, then adjust recipe accordingly. Thanks for reporting back!
 
tina December 3, 2014
just made this and although i wanted to be blown away i wasn't really...
the crust was beautifully crumbly but not tasty enough in my opinion. i also had an issue with the cornmeal, i only had the coarse stuff and i think it overpowered in terms of taste and texture.
i also think the filling was lacking in taste. i took one readers advice and added caramelized onion on top of the already cooked tart because the filling on its own didn't really stand out. i think the flavor and sweetness it added was great.
however i've got to say that in general i guess i was kinda disappointed with the outcome.
 
Alexandra S. December 3, 2014
So bummed to hear this, Tina. Not sure what to say. What cheeses did you use? Did you taste your swiss chard before spreading it over the dough? The only thing I could advise is to make sure everything was properly seasoned before sticking it into the oven because it's hard to correct the seasonings on this sort of dish after the fact. Anyway, sorry this one didn't work out for you!
 
AntoniaJames November 28, 2014
Had some difficulty with the crust, even though it was well chilled, having made it the day before -- too moist, perhaps because I weighed the ingredients using ratios suggested by nutrition information data (e.g., 120 grams per cup of flour) and did not use volume measurements -- but I made do, and ultimately it turned out well enough, and tasted great. The same problems with the crust also made it fall apart when cutting/serving. That said, I'll probably make this again.
Other notes:
I had caramelized onions on hand (I always do during the cooler months), had cooked the chard the day before, grated the cheese, etc. Added a good pinch of nutmeg, sprinkled all over the onions, and about a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves. Good addition to the holiday repertoire.
;o)
 
Alexandra S. November 30, 2014
There is nothing like caramelized onions in one of these savory galettes, and I love the idea of nutmeg with the greens — yum! Thanks so much for writing in with your notes. If you do make it again, I would be particularly interested in hearing how the dough turns out as a half batch — I'm so demanding! — because this dough seems to be foolproof as a half recipe recipe but problematic as a double recipe. I had made the single recipe for years (in a traditional circular shape) without difficulty, then doubled it here without difficulty once but then ran into some trouble when I tried to make it again after reading some of the comments — I know weather and time of year all play a role, but it's still perplexing. Anyway, glad you were able to make it work, and I love your additions!
 
AntoniaJames November 24, 2014
I'm seriously considering putting this amazing (really!) collard concoction on this galette at some point in the future (not this week . . . probably New Years Day): https://food52.com/recipes/25570-pot-roasted-collard-greens People, if you have not made collards this way, you're missing a treat. Would likely change up the cheese, too, likely using a portion of feta, as the brine would balance the richness. ;o)
 
AntoniaJames November 23, 2014
Whoa. How did I miss this? Will be making it later this week - for supper following a challenging all-day hike we've planned. ;o)
 
Alexandra S. November 23, 2014
So fun! I love hikes. My Dad is the king of "nature walks," (might be a British thing?) and we always find time for one on Thanksgiving. Hope it tunrs out well! The dough was giving people some trouble, but I think the revised recipe has been reliable. Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Marsha L. October 9, 2014
Jellyroll pans come in different sizes. What size did you use? I'd like to try this, and also add some kale, along with the Swiss chard, from my CSA share.
 
Alexandra S. October 10, 2014
Yum — kale will be delicious. My pan is about 18 x 13 inches. Also, just a head's up, though you've probably read the comments, but the dough has been problematic. I recently made it, and adjusted the recipe to add less water, which I hope will help the problem. Know, too, that you can halve the dough recipe and make a traditional round galette. Hope the dough isn't too troublesome. Let me know if there is anything else!
 
Marsha L. November 24, 2014
I really liked this. I needed to use the maximum amount of water for the dough -- perhaps because I live in Colorado and it can be a little drier here. The dough was fine to work. Altogether tasty recipe.
 
Alexandra S. November 24, 2014
So happy to hear this! I think the amount of water necessary to make the dough varies from location to location and season to season. Thanks for writing in!
 
sevenfaces September 29, 2014
I must add to the chorus of dough-woes - so soft and sticky! I added a little less water and oil and refrigerated overnight, and added around 1/3C of flour in the rolling, but still had the same problems as others had in the comments. It was a bit of a jigsaw press job in the end, though the results were still delicious. A really great crunch to match the silky filling (I added a third bunch of silverbeet too, just the right amount). Yum!
 
Alexandra S. September 30, 2014
I am so happy to hear that it came out well again, but so upset about the dough. I just made a batch this morning, this time adding all of the olive oil first, then starting with 4 tablespoons of ice water. I had to add one more tablespoon and then the dough came together — if I had added 3 more tablespoons the dough would have been too wet. So, I have ammended the recipe hoping this will prevent any future issues with the dough. So sorry once again for the trouble! Im mad at myself for not fixing the recipe sooner!
 
gabby September 24, 2014
My dough shattered into pieces, but it was malleable enough to strong-arm into place. It was temperamental until it warmed a little, but even then, I rolled and then took broken pieces and pressed into place. (For once, I used the cuisinart to mix my dough. Not sure it mattered.)
I added delicata squash (roasted in rings with honey butter glaze).

I don't know what size pan others have used, but I used our half-sheet jelly roll. I had four bundles of chard in the fridge, but they were not from the same farm so not the same size. I didn't weigh, but it would be useful if you're not sure you've got enough.
Did I mention how terrific it turned out? Finicky dough made for just-crunchy-enough crust.
 
Alexandra S. September 25, 2014
Oh my, I was so relieved to read the end of your comment, but I am still troubled by the dough situation — several others have had issues with this dough, and I just can't pinpoint the issue. I'm making this again (or a variation — roasted squash sounds amazing) for my farmshare potluck this weekend, and I am going to observe closely and take notes. I love the crunch from the cornmeal in the crust, too. Glad it worked out in the end, but sorry for the trouble with the process!
 
Adam August 30, 2014
I made this today and it's in the oven right now. I measured the dough ingredients by weight and used a food processor. I patted the dough into a 6"x8" rectangle, wrapped and refrigerated for about 4 hours. I rolled it our straight from the fridge onto a granite countertop I had cooled down with sheet pans full of ice. It was a bit more temperamental than a straight pie dough but I didn't have too many problems. Only one small crack that I easily patched. I followed the recipe exactly, but used a mixture of Comte and Gruyere. It looks and smells fabulous!
 
Alexandra S. September 1, 2014
So happy to hear this, Adam! Very nice work re cooling down your granite counter tops with trays of ice — so smart. I am going to try that next time (which is today because I'm making a German peach pie for a Labor Day bbq...so excited!). Comte is my favorite. Hope it tasted yummy in the end!
 
Adam September 1, 2014
It was so delicious! I brought it to a BBQ with a bunch of friends (everyone was assigned either an appetizer or a dessert). Guess which platter was picked clean first among all the appetizers?? I'll be making it again for sure. Thanks for a great recipe.
 
Alexandra S. September 1, 2014
Wonderful! So happy to hear this.
 
Somia August 27, 2014
I have to agree with enthous - the dough was a nightmare to roll out. It fell apart completely but luckily the pieces can be patched up. Took me back to the days when I used to be terrified of pie dough *shudder*. In the oven now.
 
Alexandra S. August 27, 2014
Such a bummer! I'm so sorry. Questions: Are you using a food processor or hand blending? Is the dough too crumbly or too wet?
 
Somia August 28, 2014
It was totally delish! We and the guests devoured it. But yes the dough felt very dense and wet. I used the food processor and let in sit in the fridge overnight and let it warm up about 15 mins before I could roll it without too much cracking (despite the fact that it felt wet - it keep splitting when I rolled it but I was able to seal it easily as I went along). I think the sheer amount of the dough was also a factor in not being able to roll easily and check for stickiness. I keep flouring and trying to lift the bottom to flour beneath and just gave up at some point. The dough was in 10 pieces when I tried to transfer it - but like I said before it patched up really easily and was completely delicious! Thanks!
 
Alexandra S. September 1, 2014
Oh good, I'm so relieved to hear this! I think you are right: it is a larger quantity of dough than typically is called for in a recipe, so that is one factor, but since you weren't the only one who had rolling issues, I'm thinking I should decrease the water amount to say between 1/3 and 2/3 cup water, and to add water as necessary during the processing. Anyway, thank you for reporting back, and again, so happy to hear it was edible in the end!
 
Petite F. August 22, 2014
Awesome app! In my opinion, since the chard shrink so much during the cooking process, I would cook 3 bunches at least.
THanks for sharing your recette!
 
Alexandra S. August 23, 2014
Wonderful to hear this! I know, isn't it crazy how greens shrink down to nothing?!
 
Ross August 17, 2014
This was easy to make and eat. Took it to a party and watched it disappear. My chard plants are pretty funny looking with one stalk standing up on each plant! The poor bunny rabbit from the neighborhood will have to find something else to much on for awhile. Thanks for the great recipe.
 
Alexandra S. August 20, 2014
Wonderful to hear this, Ross! We have a bunny in our yard as well and have been out of town for a week — wondering how the garden will look when we get home tomorrow...
 
enthous August 14, 2014
I ran out and bought two large bunches of chard to try this. The only diversion from the recipe I took was to add a splash of white balsamic vinegar to the chard sauté. It was delicious. However, the dough was really unmanageable; much too soft. I'm an experienced cook and have made uncountable amounts of pastry over the years; I measured by weight, not volume, so I'm pretty sure of the accuracy. I was concerned when adding the liquids, as it seemed like an awful lot, but I had faith and dumped it in. The idea of "flipping" the dough after it was thinner than 1/2" was laughable. I must have added at least another 1/2 cup of flour during rolling and still found it impossible to get to the pan as a sheet of dough. The good news is it was fairly easy to press and pat it into place in the pan and it still wasn't tough when baked. Next time I plan on cutting out some liquid or refrigerating it much longer, possibly both. I also didn't get 500 grams of leaves from my two large bunches, so I would like more greens, but it was still good. Those of you with garden chard won't have that problem. It's also delicious at room temperature, which is nice because it makes a huge amount and we had lots of leftovers.
 
Alexandra S. August 20, 2014
I'm so bummed to hear this! Also, sorry for the delay here — I've been in WI for a week and haven't had access to my computer. Anyway, I am suddenly worried that my weight measurement for cornmeal is off, and I am so so sorry if it is! I will double check when I get home, but in the meantime, I'm going to remove that figure in case it is. The flour I think is accurate. I'll check back here when I get home and re-weigh. Again, I feel terrible — there is nothing worse than when recipes (especially pastries!) don't work out, and I am especially bummed because this dough is so delicious (seriously, my favorite) when it works out. The cornmeal adds such a nice texture to the dough. Anyway, I love your idea of adding white balsamic to the chard — a little vinegar is always nice with these sorts of greens.
 
Alexandra S. August 23, 2014
Hi again, OK, so I am back home, and reweighed 2/3 cup cornmeal, and it came out to be 102 g, which I think is what I had? So I am stumped as to where the recipe went wrong. My only thought is that flours absorb liquid differently at different times of the year, and perhaps this made a difference? The dough definitely is on the sticky side, but nothing that a sprinkling of flour while you work shouldn't be able to correct, so again, I don't know how to advise. I'm so sorry again for the trouble! Wish this one had worked out for you.