Bikini season, what?!
I am getting so fat. Seriously, I’m not even kidding. Ever since our AC started working again I’ve been baking like a maniac. In this heat wave? Yes…and I can’t stop. Everywhere I turn there’s a farmer’s market with the most gorgeous summer fruit and all I can think about is making golden, buttery galettes! I’m the type that when something’s in season, my eyes glaze over and I buy it all. Peaches are in at the moment and my kitchen is stocked. Not only that, my freezer holds a precious batch of flaky pastry dough that I made back in May in full anticipation of this seasonal splendor.
I’m not a huge fan of pies, but I adore galettes. Why? Because of their even filling to crust ratio. Galettes or ‘free-form’ tarts are made without using a tart shell. They claim to be simple and rustic, but at first I just didn’t get it. How do they fold the sides like that? Why is my filling running all over the place? Why doesn’t mine look like the picture?
So, first let’s talk pastry dough-
If you’re a baker or a pie enthusiast, I’m sure that you have an opinion about pastry dough. All butter? Shortening? A combination of the two? I prefer an all-butter crust for its superior flavor. But these days I throw in a little shortening for flakiness. Leaving the butter in large chunks will also give you a flaky crust, however a little bit of both suits my taste.
See those big white spots of butter? That’s what you want.
Now, let’s talk about the sides-
First and foremost, you have to work with cold dough. That is the only way. Soft, overworked dough is too difficult to fold and will usually result in a tough crust (and a few foul-mouthed words). The second thing is to create a 2-3 inch border so that you can actually pull up the the sides over the fruit. If your border is too narrow, you won’t get the full effect.
If at anytime your dough starts to tear while folding, gently press it back together. If it starts to soften up, just pop it back in the fridge (make space ahead of time!) Remember, cold is key.
As far as the filling goes, galettes can be made with any kind of fruit. Keep in mind that all fruits have different moisture contents. Peaches hold up pretty well, while berries do not. Cornstarch will help to thicken up any running juices. And if a little spills over, it’s totally ok. You’re going for that ‘rustic’ look.
On that note, don’t worry about making your galette look like the pictures- each one should be unique and different, like you! After all, they are homemade.
Tips:
*To get ahead, I always make my dough in advance. You can either refrigerate it (up to 3 days) or freeze it. This way you can whip up a galette whenever the mood strikes.
*It is best to use firm, ripe peaches for this recipe. They are easier to slice and will hold their shape while baking.
*For best results, bake your galette on a pizza stone. The bottom crust will be perfectly crisp.
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summer peach galette
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins
- Yield: 4-6
Ingredients
Flaky pastry dough (makes 2 galettes)
- 2 1/2 c. flour
- 14 tbsp. unsalted butter (cold), cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp. shortening (cold), cut into cubes
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt
- small glass of ice water
Peach filling
- 2–3 firm, ripe peaches
- juice of 1/2 small lemon
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 3 tbsp. apricot jam, divided
Garnish
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. sanding sugar
- 1/4 c. slivered almonds
*To get ahead, I always make my dough in advance. You can either refrigerate it (up to 3 days) or freeze it. This way you can whip up a galette whenever the mood strikes.
*It is best to use firm, ripe peaches for this recipe. They are easier to slice and will hold their shape while baking.
*For best results, bake your galette on a pizza stone. The bottom crust will be perfectly crisp.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 F. If using a pizza stone, place inside of the oven to heat up.
- Get ahead- Cut the butter and shortening into cubes and place in the freezer. Then, make enough space in your refrigerator to fit 1 baking sheet. If your dough starts to soften, place it there to chill (and thank me later…)
- Make the dough- In a food processor, add the flour, cold butter & shortening, sugar, and salt. Pulse 5-8 times until the butter is the size of peas. Slowly add the ice water (1 tbsp. at a time) and pulse the machine until the dough just comes together. You will use anywhere between 3-5 tbsp. of water depending on your dough. It’s appearance should look crumbly, not like a ball. When you pinch some between your fingers and it sticks together, it’s done.
- Dump the dough out onto a work surface and gently shape into a flat disk. If it seems too crumbly don’t worry; it will come together as it rests in the fridge. Cut the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour – overnight.
- Make the filling- Run your knife around the peaches and twist open to reveal the pit. Cut each half into about (6) 1/2 inch slices.
- Transfer the peaches to a bowl. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Using your hands, gently mix to combine. Set aside.
- When your dough is nicely chilled, roll out 1 disk into a 12 inch circle (save the other disk for a future galette). Do this between 2 sheets of floured parchment paper so that it does not stick. Don’t worry if it’s not a perfect circle; you can trim the edges with a pairing knife or just leave it as is. Transfer the dough to the fridge to chill, leaving it on on the parchment paper. Let it rest for 15 minutes or until firm.
- Using the back of a spoon, spread 1 tbsp. of apricot jam onto the center of your dough creating a 2-3 inch border along the edge.
- Place your peaches in the center and fold up the sides, gently tucking them in between the peaches.*See note.
- Beat the egg with a splash of water and brush the sides of the dough.
- Sprinkle the peaches and outside of the dough with sanding sugar and almonds.
- Transfer your galette (by lifting up the parchment paper) to a baking sheet or preheated pizza stone. Bake on the center rack for 60-75 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
- When finished, brush the warm galette with the remaining apricot jam to lightly glaze. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
*If at anytime your dough starts to tear while folding, gently press it back together. If it starts to soften up, just pop it back in the fridge. Remember, cold is key.
Comments
Faye says
Hi Emilie,
I’m baking this glorious looking dessert tomorrow with my daughter. I’v been looking at your beautiful pictures and noticed your peaches looked a lot less fuzzier than mine. They looked a lot like nectarines we get here in England and I was wondering if you could use them as well as the peaches for this.
Just found your blog looking for this particular type of recipe and am so glad I did!
Thanks
Del's cooking twist says
Thank you for sharing your Summer Peach Galette to my Fruit pie party, Emilie. This is such a beautiful pie! Here’s the link to the party with all the recipes. Enjoy! http://www.delscookingtwist.com/2014/04/22/fruit-pie-party-with-a-twist/
★★★★★
Mo says
that looks sooooo good and different makes me wanna try !
Joanne T Ferguson says
G’day and beautiful galette Emilie, true!
LOVE you photo and wish could have some right now too!
Cheers! Joanne
http://www.facebook.com/whatsonthelist
Liz says
Now why have I never made a peach galette??? I agree about the fruit to crust ratio…and rustic is my style when it comes to pastry. Yours is gorgeous!
Emilie says
Thank you Liz! I love making galettes!!! You can’t go wrong with rustic, right? That’s my style too! Enjoy :)
silvia says
Spectacular! Thanks for yet another great post
★★★★★
Carol | a cup of mascarpone says
Emilie, your galette is beautiful! Since moving to Georgia, this is the one dessert I have been dying to make! I love your addition of the almonds to the crust! Lovely…
Emilie says
Hi Carol! Oh, yes- you must be surrounded by peaches in Georgia. I don’t know what I’d do with myself…so many options! Congrats on your new job by the way. I’m looking forward to seeing some of the pieces in your lovely posts! :)
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love peaches, this is such a pretty galette!
Emilie says
Thank you Laura! It’s so hard not to pick off a piece of the crust every time I walk by…
Amber @ Black Rooster Cottage says
Perfect timing!! We just moved into a small town and this past Tuesday morning I just happened to see a peach truck so I bought a basket of peaches. They were the best peaches I have ever had. Needless to say, those are gone but the peach truck will be back next Tuesday and I will be there to buy 2 baskets of peaches. Guess what I’ll be doing after church on Sunday? Making crust! Thanks for sharing this!
Emilie says
Hi Amber! I love when that happens! You are absolutely welcome- I hope you enjoy the recipe. It will be something nice and comforting to enjoy in your new house ;)
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
…which means I’m not* eating yummy baked goodies all the time. Lol. Whoops!
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Oh my, this is so gorgeous!! I can’t wait for peaches :D And I guess the one good thing of not having AC is that I can’t bake all the time(which means I’m eating yummy baked goodies all the time too, haha).
Emilie says
Welcome Heidi! Aren’t sweet, juicy peaches the best?! You’re too funny- I hope you’re finding a way to stay cool. Thanks for stopping by!
Kelly @ Inspired Edibles says
Heehee, love your brutally candid intro – it made me smile :o). But it’s so true, we are surrounded by gorgeousness this time of year and it’s so hard to resist all the delicious possibilities that swirl around in our minds! I have to say that I have been craving galette so I’m quite pleased you acted on my fantasy before I had to ;-). The peaches look extraordinary and I love that you added sliced almond to the crust – what a perfect touch – looks so pretty too. Lovely photography Emilie (did you use the back of a cookie sheet? looks dynamite) xo.
Emilie says
Hi Kelly! I know…I kind of just blurted that one out, right? But I can’t help it! It is so hard to resist the simplicity of a buttery, flaky crust & sweet juicy fruit. I love desserts like that. Not to mention, the produce at this time of year is just beautiful. And I love when you’re craving a certain thing and the recipe just pops out right in front you you- I hope you like this one.
For the photos, each one was photographed right on top of my pizza stone! I wasn’t planning on do it that way, but sometimes I don’t pick the shot; they pick me :)
rakhee@boxofspice says
What a beautiful galette Emilie! You are so good at capturing summer. :)
Like you I’ve been baking like crazy. Only difference, they don’t have ac’s in Holland and we are having an unusually warm few weeks. Result: a few foul mouthed words that come my way! But who cares right?!
Emilie says
Thank you Rakhee!! I wish I could make summer last forever… you’re so sweet! I can’t believe that you don’t have AC’s over there… maybe I should quit complaining, right? Ah well, once a baker always a baker!
Laney @ Ortensia Blu says
I am sooo going to make this! And I am soooo going to make a few batchs of dough to put in the freezer – love this – thanks!
Emilie says
Hi Laney! I made a ton of this dough back in May as I knew I would want to bake several of these tarts when summer arrived. As I’m sure you know, the best part about doing it in advance is that you can whip one of these at anytime! I love that. I think you could probably freeze an assembled galette (un-cooked) to bake off later as well… I’ll have to try that too :)
Maria | Pink Patisserie says
Beautiful galette and gorgeous photos Emilie! So glad your AC is back!
Emilie says
Oh, me too Maria! I don’t know how we survived without it…especially with the little ones :) Now we have it on full blast. I’ll take hot summers over winter any day!
Adri says
Beautiful! Altogether enticing, it is, even in this heat. And I’m with you on all points!
Emilie says
Thanks Adri! I wish I could stay away from my oven in the summer… sometimes I’m just too tempted (I’d rather bake than cook dinner…ha ha…)I just love the variety of summer fruit. Nothing beats it!