A buttery, crispy and flaky crust wrapped up around a filling made with sweet peaches and cinnamon spice. It's a classy, rustic peach galette! The perfect summer dessert! 

If you love pies but hate making them then this galette is gonna be your friend! You don't need to worry about the perfect edges or folds. and no special equipment or skills are required. It’s basically a free-form peach pie or a lazy pie! It has all the qualities of a pie like a buttery, flaky crust, and sweet fruit filling but you can make it without any hard work that is required to make a pie. Just bake it on a baking sheet and you are done! We paired it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top!

Don’t let this summer go by without making this delicious and classy peach galette! 

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WHAT IS A GALETTE?

Galette is a term used in French cuisine for various types of flat, round or free-form cakes that don’t require any pan and are made of pastry dough with a sweet or savoury filling. Just roll out your pastry, top it with either sweet or savoury filling and roughly fold the edges of the pastry up on the filling then bake it.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RUSTIC PEACH GALETTE!

Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact quantities.

FOR GALETTE CRUST

• Plain flour/all-purpose flour: Make sure, to measure it correctly. The best way to measure plain flour is by using a digital scale. If you don’t have then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Salt and sugar: They are added to enhance the flavour of the galette crust.
• Unsalted butter: It is very very important to use cold butter to make a dough. So it’s better to cut the butter into half inch cubes or chunks and pop it in the freezer in a single layer for 15-20 minutes before use as it should be very cold when you are ready to use it.
• White vinegar: Add a small amount of vinegar as it helps to prevent gluten development and keeps your dough softer, tender and easier to work with. I used white vinegar for this recipe but you can substitute it with apple cider vinegar.
• Ice-cold Water: To get the crispy and flakier galette crust, it’s very important to keep everything cold. Ice cold water keeps the butter cold. Take the water into a bowl and add ice cubes to it. Pop it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before use. Measure the required amount of water from the bowl then add a tsp of vinegar into it just before pouring it into the dough mixture.

FOR PEACH FILLING

• Peaches: Always use fresh and ripe peaches. Don’t use over ripen peaches. No need to peel them.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness. Granulated sugar is also used to sprinkle on top to make it crunchy and crispy.
• Vanilla extract: For flavour.
• Salt: It is added to enhance the flavour.
• Lemon zest & Lemon juice: Slightly tartness balances the sweetness and enhances the flavour. 
• Ground cinnamon: Adds the flavour but it is totally optional.
• Honey: To add a glossy shine, drizzle a small amount of honey over the peach filling immediately after baking.

FOR THE EGG WASH

• One egg + 1 tsp milk

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HOW TO MAKE THE PEACH GALETTE STEP BY STEP!

It is very easy to make but to get a flakey and crispy pastry please follow the few tricks and techniques that make all the difference. Making galette dough by using a food processor is a very common practice but we prefer it by hand as it gives the best results and you can avoid the overworking of the dough.

STEP 1: GALETTE CRUST

1. Combine the dry ingredients:

• Take a large chilled mixing bowl (chill the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before use). Add the plain flour, caster sugar and salt then whisk to combine.

2. Add the butter:

• Make sure, your butter is super cold to get the flaky and tender pastry. It is better to cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and chunks and place them in the freezer in a single layer for 15-20 minutes before use. It should be very cold when you are ready to use it. Water should be ice cold too. Take the water into a bowl and add ice cubes to it. Pop it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before use.
• Add the butter cubes into the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or simply a fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture then using your fingertips, rub and press each piece of butter flat. Work quickly to avoid the melting of butter. If it melts, the pastry will end up with a more biscuit-like texture so cold butter is the key to flaky pastry success.

3. Add the ice cold water and vinegar:

• Measure the required amount of ice-cold water and mix it in a bowl with 1tsp of white vinegar. Add this liquid in stages over the flour and butter mixture. Using your hands, mix it well until you have a dough that holds together well but is not too sticky. If the dough is too dry, add a few sprinkles of very cold water (but don't add too much water).
• Transfer the dough onto the work surface and shape it into a square, using your hands. Cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out and Fold:

• This roll out and fold method helps to create layers and a more flaky, crispy pastry.
• Dust your rolling pin with flour. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough square into a rectangle, fold in half then in a quarter. Repeat this process twice again.
• Now shape the dough into a disk (between the plastic wrap), by using a rolling pin. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for at least one hour - 1 1/2 hours or up to 2 days.

5. Shape the dough:

• Dust your rolling pin and baking paper with flour. Transfer the dough disc onto the floured baking paper, and sprinkle the flour over it. 
• Roll the dough in the right direction. Start by rolling away from you in the centre of the dough and rotating the butter paper while rolling. Continue rolling away from the centre.
• Gently roll it out into an 11” circle using a rolling pin. It doesn’t have to be a perfect circle.
• Carefully slide this baking paper with dough onto a baking sheet (12”), cover with another baking paper and refrigerate it for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the peach filling.

STEP 2: PEACH FILLING

• Cut the peaches (about 3 medium) into thin slices for even baking.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, ground Cinnamon and plain flour until combined. Toss with the peaches.

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STEP 3: ASSEMBLE THE GALETTE

• Preheat the Fan oven to 160C/320F (for conventional oven, 180C/356F).
• Take out the baking sheet with dough from the fridge. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp semolina over the dough, leaving about a 2” border all the way around. Semolina absorbs the juice from the fruit mixture and keeps the pastry crisp.
• Now arrange the peaches in a circular pattern over the dough, starting from the outside and going towards the centre, leaving about a 2” border all the way around.
• Gently fold the edges of the dough into pleats over the filling and press to seal.
• Whisk together an egg and a tsp of milk, brush the dough border with this egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar over the egg wash to make the crust sweet and crispy.
• Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling (rotate the galette halfway through baking).
• To add a glossy shine, drizzle a small amount of honey over the peach filling immediately after baking.
• Cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Slice the warm galette and serve it with vanilla ice cream.

PRO TIPS TO MAKE PERFECT FLAKY AND CRISPY GALETTE!

1. The most important thing is the TEMPERATURE of your ingredients and that should be COLD. 

• Make sure, your butter is super cold to get the flaky and tender pastry. It is better to cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and chunks and place them in the freezer in a single layer for 15-20 minutes before use. It should be very cold when you are ready to use it. 
• Water should be ice cold too. Take the water into a bowl and add ice cubes to it. Pop it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before use. Measure the required amount of water from the bowl then add a tsp of vinegar into it just before pouring it into the dough mixture.

2. Don’t skip the Vinegar! 

• Add a small amount of vinegar as it helps to prevent gluten development and keeps your dough softer, tender and easier to work with.

3. Avoid over-working the dough! 

• Overworking the dough makes it tough. Don’t knead the dough as you don’t want to develop too much gluten in the pastry. The less you handle the dough, the more tender it will be. Use the Roll and Fold method that makes the pastry tender and flaky.

TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

• If your pastry begins to stick or butter starts to melt while rolling, nothing to worry about, put it back in the fridge until you can work with it again (about 15-20 minutes).
• If you are struggling with rolling the dough, roll your dough between baking papers. The baking paper keeps the dough even and moist and you can avoid the cracks. 
• If there are so many cracks, gently pinch them together.

FAQ

How do you keep the bottom of a crust from getting soggy?

Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of semolina or bread crumbs before adding the fruit filling. It prevents soggy crust.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes, you can make it a few hours in advance. Bake it and let it cool at room temperature. Then again place in the Fan oven at 160C/180C for conventional for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Can I use store-bought pastry?

It is better to use homemade but if you are in a hurry, you can use a store-bought pie crust to make a galette.

How do you store it?

Galette is best eaten the day it is baked but you can store any leftovers. It will last for a day at room temperature and up to 3-4 days in the fridge if it is well wrapped or you can store it in an air-tight container.

You can freeze it for up to 2 months. Let it cool completely, wrap it properly and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container.

How to serve it?

They are best served when they are still slightly warm. Serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy! 

I hope that you'll try this recipe and you'll love them as much as my family and I do! If you make this recipe then be sure to tag @kaotickrunch on Instagram. We'd love to see your creations!

Happy baking and eating! 😊