Red Pepper and Baked Egg Galettes from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem ~ these eggs baked in puff pastry are the ultimate breakfast in bed recipe, and they look spectacular on a brunch buffet table, too.
Red Pepper and Baked Egg Galettes are simple yet unique
Some chefs are destined to change the landscape of the food world and Yotam Ottolenghi is one of them. I’m pretty picky about adding to my cookbook collection, you could say I’m a cookbook minimalist. But I have every one of Ottolenghi’s many books ~ Jerusalem was my first and is still my favorite. The food is creative, colorful, and ingredient driven. Just my style (the photos make me weak at the knees.) It’s a keeper, just like these baked egg galettes 🙂
grocery list for baked egg galettes
- frozen puff pastry (see tips below for working with it)
- red bell peppers ~ the color makes the galettes pop!
- onions, you can use any type but I prefer purple, which adds another color to the mix
- ground cumin and coriander, a classic Middle Eastern duo
- fresh thyme, parsley, and cilantro
- sour cream (I’ve also used creme fraiche, or soft goat cheese)
- fresh eggs, buy the best you can afford
- the basics like olive oil, salt, and pepper
egg galettes step by step
If you’re trying to impress a brunch crowd or a special someone, this is the recipe to try. Yes the galettes look fancy, but that’s the magic…they come together in a few easy steps.
- You’ll roast red pepper and onion wedges
- Then pile them on little squares of puff pastry that have been spread with a little sour cream, creme fraiche, or goat cheese.
- Top the pastry with the veggies and make a little ‘nest’ in the center for the egg.
- Gently add the egg and bake!
The colorful veggies are shaped into a sort of ‘nest’ shape to hold the eggs in place. I used red bell peppers, but you can use any color you like, even mix them for a rainbow effect.
The final step is to crack an egg in the center of each galette and bake until just barely set ~ that really makes these irresistible. I like to crack my egg into a small cup before adding it to the galette, it gives me more control over where it settles.
serving your egg galettes
The nice thing about this recipe is that you can serve it hot or room temperature, the puff pastry holds up quite well. So for a brunch you might set them out with a pretty salad:
- Green Goddess Wedge Salad
- Caesar Kale Slaw
- Mediterranean Bean Salad
- Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh
- Orzo Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing
Tips for Working with Frozen Puff Pastry Dough
Start with a hot oven ~ Preheat fully before baking. Puff pastry relies on that initial blast of heat to generate steam and lift the layers sky-high.
Thaw overnight for best results ~ Leave the pastry in its wrapper and let it thaw slowly in the refrigerator overnight. It will be pliable but still cold the next day, which is exactly what you want.
Handle with care ~ Unwrap onto a lightly floured surface. Puff pastry doesn’t need much rolling ~ think of it more as coaxing it into the shape you need. A few gentle passes with your rolling pin are usually plenty.
Keep it cold ~ Puff pastry depends on layers of butter to rise into those flaky pockets. If the dough gets warm and soft while you’re working, slide it back into the fridge for 10–15 minutes before continuing.
Create crisp edges ~ To make a raised border (perfect for these egg galettes), run the tip of a sharp knife around the dough about 1 inch from the edge. Don’t cut all the way through — that shallow score lets the edge puff higher than the center, framing your filling beautifully.
Chill before baking ~ Once you’ve shaped and filled your pastry, give it a quick chill before it hits the oven. Cold dough going into a hot oven = the best rise and flaky egg galettes!
Featured comment on Baked Egg Galettes
“Thank you for posting such an incredible recipe! The moment I saw how beautiful it looked, I had to make it. I made it for lunch that very day. The combination of favors was exceptionally satisfying. Yum! Very nice for a special occasion.” ~ June
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Egg Galettes
Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
- 2 small onions, (red or white) halved and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
- fresh sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 6 Tbsp olive oil
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
- handful cilantro, chopped
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten, for brushing the pastry
- 12 tsp sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Mix together the pepper, onions, thyme and spices in a bowl. Add the olive oil and toss well so that everything is coated with the oil and spices.
- Spread on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring and rearranging the veggies a few times so they don’t burn.
- Sprinkle the veggies with half the fresh herbs and set aside.
- Turn the oven up to 425. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it reaches a 12×12 inch square. Cut into four 6 inch squares. Transfer to two parchment or silpat lined baking sheets.
- Take a dul knife and score a little 1/4 inch frame around each square of pastry. Don’t cut all the way through. Prick the inside of the squares all over with the tines of a fork. Put back in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and brush all over with a beaten egg. Spread the inside of each square with 3 tsp of sour cream.
- Top each with some of the veggie mixture, spread it out evenly, leaving the borders free, and leaving a shallow depression in the center for the egg, which will go in later.
- Bake for about 10 minutes until rising and starting to brown.
- Remove and carefully crack in egg into the center of each galette.
- Put back into the oven for about 10 minutes until the egg is set.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and remaining herbs. Drizzle with some good olive oil and eat right away.
Simply stunning! I made these for Easter this morning, and they were as delicious as they were beautiful!
I love these too, Sally, perfect for Easter!
These were excellent. Made for my family. They loved it even the two picky ones.
Delicious. Mine was not as pretty but tasty. I used goat cheese instead of sour cream.
Do you know calorie count for this dish??
Yes, that’s in the recipe card.
Wonderful recipe, turned out beautifully. Plan to make it again as part of an elegant brunch. thank you
I haven’t made these in a while Pat, you’ve inspired me!
These look beautiful! I was thinking of making them for Easter Sunday, but I have to be dairy-free. Do you think it’s possible to just omit the sour cream or will that drastically change it?
The sour cream serves to add a little flavor and anchor everything to the crust, so I wonder if you could use a dairy free cheese of some sort in its place. Or possibly hummus, an olive tapenade, or even a sun dried tomato spread of some sort.
For a dairy-free sour cream substitute, there are recipes online simply using chilled canned coconut milk (the solid part) mixed with either lemon juice or white vinegar 🙂
Thanks Irish Chef!
Can these be served cold or reheated?
They can be served at room temperature, Michelle, and you could reheat them, but the cooked egg won’t have the same texture. I think for best results they should be eaten either hot from the oven, or after they’ve cooled, but refrigerating them would be the last resort.
Hi there! Absolutely love this recipe! Anything with puff pastry = good in my book, and the roasted veggies are a perfect way to start the day! But when I cook the egg in the oven, it comes out rubbery. I have since just been cooking the egg in a pan to put it on after, but obviously it would be a lot more convenient to just keep everything going in the oven. Any ideas why this is happening and how I can fix it? Thanks!
Sometimes when I cook it the egg doesn’t get quite cooked through enough and I have to zap it under the broiler or put it back in for a minute…I can’t imagine the egg getting rubbery after such a short time in the oven. Are you sure your oven temperature is accurate?
These look amazing-but I’m not a huge fan of sour cream-could you recommend an alternative that isn’t dairy?
You can just omit the sour cream if you like, or you might use a pureed roasted red pepper spread like harissa if you like things spicy!
Thank you for posting such an incredible recipe! The moment I saw how beautiful it looked, I had to make it! I made it for lunch that very day. The combination of favors was exceptionally satisfying.
I did have to bake the egg a few minutes longer. Next time I just might add a poached egg. Instead of the suggested cheese, I grated a healthy portion of aged cheddar. On top, I sprinkled sautéed diced bacon. Yum! Very nice for a special occasion.
So glad you liked it June 🙂