The contrast of sweet and salty has long ceased to be an experiment and has become a full-fledged trend in home baking. Pears, with their soft juiciness and slight tartness, combined with the sharp, savory taste of blue cheese, create a flavor profile that is hard to predict but easy to love. Styler editor Yulia Lyushneva combined these ingredients in a delicate galette on a cottage cheese crust and cooked it in an air fryer. The total preparation time is only 30 minutes, of which 20 minutes are spent directly on baking.
Cottage Cheese Crust: Softness Instead of Crispy Puff Pastry
Unlike the classic French galette made with puff pastry, this recipe uses a cottage cheese base that makes the pastry more tender and light. The cottage cheese is placed in a bowl and mashed with a fork until smooth. Then, one egg, grated cheese, flour, and baking powder are added, and the mixture is thoroughly stirred. The finished dough is soft and slightly sticky — this is normal and allows you to easily shape the base by hand. To prevent the mass from sticking to your fingers, you can lightly wet your hands with water.
Shaping the Galettes and Adding the Filling
The cottage cheese dough is divided into four approximately equal parts. Each part is placed on parchment paper, and a round base is formed by hand, trying to distribute the mass evenly and leaving the edges slightly thicker to form the crusts later. The pear is washed, cored, and sliced thinly. The fruit pieces are distributed across the four bases, and topped with blue cheese cut into small cubes. It is important to leave a little free space at the edges so that the filling does not spill over the dough. Then the edges are gently lifted and folded inward, forming low crusts that are lightly pressed with fingers to fix the shape.
Baking in the Air Fryer: Temperature and Time
Before putting them in the oven, the edges are brushed with a beaten egg yolk using a pastry brush, giving them an appetizing golden crust after baking. The galettes are baked in a multi-cooker (air fryer) at 160 degrees for 20 minutes. The time may vary slightly depending on the thickness of the cottage cheese base and the specific air fryer model, so it is recommended to check readiness not only by the color of the crust but also by the state of the dough inside. The finished galette should have golden edges, and the cheese in the filling should be completely softened.
Serving, Flavor Accents, and Variations
The finished galettes are transferred to a plate, drizzled with a small amount of honey, and sprinkled with chopped nuts. Honey harmoniously balances the salty taste of blue cheese, and the nuts add a pleasant crunch. It is best to serve the galettes warm when the cheese in the filling is still soft and the pear remains juicy. The taste of the dish is easily varied: you can change the proportions of cheese and fruit, add herbs, or experiment with other types of cheese.
Allergens and Practical Notes
The dish contains wheat (gluten), eggs, and dairy products. If nuts are used for serving, the corresponding allergens are also present. In case of food intolerance, it is recommended to carefully check the composition of all ingredients on the packaging. The recipe is adapted for home cooking using an air fryer or multi-cooker, making it accessible even to those who do not have a traditional oven.
