Simple Pear Galette with Vanilla

Ingredients

• 1/2 batch Old-Fashioned Flaky Pie Dough
• For the filling:
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 1/4 ounces plain or toasted sugar
• 3/4 ounce tapioca starch
• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 26 ounces crisp, semi-tart pears, such as Bosc or Seckel
• 1/2 ounce apple cider vinegar
• For the egg wash:
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 ounce heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight

Directions

1. Make the Old-Fashioned Flaky Pie Dough as directed. Once the dough has been rolled, folded, and divided in half, shape one piece into a 14-inch round. Move it to a parchment-lined half sheet pan, cover it with plastic, and chill it in the refrigerator so the dough can relax and firm up, at least 2 hours or up to 24.
2. For the filling, set an oven rack in the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a medium bowl, work the vanilla seeds into the sugar with your fingers, then whisk in the tapioca starch, salt, Chinese five-spice powder, and cardamom. Save the vanilla pod for another use.
3. Rinse the pears, leaving the skins on, then cut them into quarters, remove the cores, and slice them 1/4-inch thick. Add 20 ounces of pears (about 3 heaping cups; 565g) to the bowl with the spiced vanilla sugar, pour in the apple cider vinegar, and toss until the sugar has dissolved.
4. Lay the pears on the chilled dough in a loose 10-inch circle, overlapping the slices like a row of dominoes. Pour any juices left in the bowl over the fruit. Using a sharp knife, make slits around the dough border, placing them about 5 inches apart. Fold the dough up and over the pears, pulling lightly so each section overlaps the previous one snugly. Return the galette to the refrigerator while you make the egg wash.
5. For the egg wash, whisk the egg, egg yolk, cream, and salt together in a small bowl. Brush a light, even coating over the cold dough, making sure to get beneath each folded flap too. This helps the crust bake up shiny and golden while also holding the overlapping pieces in place.
6. Bake until the edges are well browned and the filling is bubbling in the middle, about 35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve warm, adding dollops of whipped cream if desired.