Peach Galette

Prep Time: 30 mins	Chill Time: 1 hr
Bake Time: 40 mins	Total Time: 2 hr 10 mins
Serves: 6-8

A galette is the wonderfully relaxed cousin of a traditional fruit pie. This rustic French pastry is made by rolling pâte brisée into a simple round, arranging fruit in the center, and folding the edges of the dough over the filling by hand. There’s no pie plate, elaborate crimping, or perfectly shaped crust required, yet the result is every bit as impressive.

This version makes the most of ripe summer peaches, lightly sweetened and tucked inside a buttery homemade pâte brisée. A little cornstarch thickens the juices as the fruit bakes, while an egg wash and coarse sugar give the folded crust its deeply golden, crisp finish. Serve the galette slightly warm or at room temperature, either on its own or with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or lightly sweetened crème fraîche.

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Choosing Peaches for Baking

For a galette, choose ripe but still firm peaches. They should have a fragrant, distinctly peachy aroma and yield slightly when gently pressed, but shouldn't feel soft or bruised. Very ripe peaches release considerably more juice as they bake and can make the bottom crust soggy.

If your peaches are still quite firm, leave them at room temperature for a day or two to ripen. Avoid judging ripeness by red color alone, since the blush on a peach varies by variety and isn't necessarily an indication of how ripe it is.

Getting the Pâte Brisée to the Right Temperature

Before chilling, shape the dough into a disk about 1 inch thick rather than leaving it in a thick ball. This helps the dough chill more evenly from the edges to the center and makes it easier to roll once rested.

Pâte brisée should be thoroughly chilled before rolling, but it shouldn't be rock hard. If the dough has been refrigerated for several hours or overnight, remove it from the refrigerator about 10 to 15 minutes before you plan to roll it. It should still feel distinctly cold and firm, but yield slightly when gently pressed. This gives the butter enough time to become pliable without allowing the dough to become too warm.

If you're short on time, place the wrapped disk in the freezer for 10 minutes, flipping it after 5 minutes so both sides chill evenly. Because freezers vary in temperature and strength, check the dough when you flip it and again before removing it. You're looking for dough that feels cold and firm throughout, but not frozen or rigid.

Avoid leaving the dough in the freezer longer simply to make it colder. If it begins to freeze solid, the butter can become too hard to roll smoothly, causing the dough to crack and break. As frozen dough warms again, condensation can also make the surface sticky, which often leads to adding more flour than necessary and can ultimately produce a tougher crust. The freezer is useful when time is short, but the goal is to chill the dough quickly, not freeze it.

Don't Add Too Much Water to the Dough

Start with 3 tablespoons of ice water and add the remaining tablespoon only if the dough needs it. Pâte brisée should hold together when gently pressed but shouldn't feel wet or sticky. Adding more water than necessary can encourage gluten development and result in a tougher crust.

Ingredients

For the Pâte Brisée

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (1 stick)

• 3–4 tablespoons ice water

For the Peach Filling

• 4 medium peaches, sliced, about 4 cups

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• pinch of kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For Finishing

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Instructions

Prepare the Pâte Brisée

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

   
   

2. Add the cold butter and cut it into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

   
   

3. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of the ice water and gently mix until the dough begins to come together. Add the remaining tablespoon if needed.

   
   

4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Tip: For proper chilling, freezer shortcuts, and the ideal temperature for rolling, see Getting the Pâte Brisée to the Right Temperature.

Prepare the Filling

5. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice. Toss gently until evenly coated.

Assemble the Galette

7. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

   
   

8. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle. Lift the parchment paper to easily transfer the dough to your baking sheet.

   
   

9. Spoon the peach mixture into the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edge. Fold the edges of the dough over the peaches, overlapping slightly as you work around the galette.

   
   

10. Brush the exposed dough with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the crust with the coarse sugar.

    
    

Bake

11. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the peaches are bubbling. Allow the galette to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Serve

12. Serve warm or at room temperature. If desired, serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or lightly sweetened crème fraîche.