Summer is officially over. And while I’m going to try and embrace the Fall, I may put up a bit of resistance. This easy peach galette recipe was actually made a few weeks ago when there were still some good peaches available. You can just as easily substitute the peaches for apples, pears or even a cup or two of some frozen berries. Just think of the recipe as a rough outline, fill it in with whatever you like.
I like galettes cause they’re a great base. I tend to make then with whatever I have and I encourage you to do so as well. You can make them sweet or savory, a good example of this is a roasted tomato version I did a few weeks ago. I would recommend making a double batch of the dough, and then stashing what you don’t use in the freezer. Be sure to try and freeze it in as flat a disk as you can, it helps make the rolling out much easier later on. Then, when you feel inspired, you’re galette ready. Just pull it out of your freezer, let it thaw in the fridge for an hour or so, and then get to making a galette.
Summer is officially over. And while I’m going to try and embrace the Fall, I may put up a bit of resistance.
What is a galette?
In this case, we’re talking about a classic fruit galette. Not a galette Breton (a savory buckwheat crepe) or a Galette des Rois (a seasonal cake, more like a tart, made with layers of puff pastry and frangipane).
A galette is a free-form tart filled with fresh seasonal fruit, frozen fruit, or even a variety of savory fillings. The beauty and ease of a galette is in its simplicity: you layer the filling inside your pastry dough and then fold the edges over. They’re supposed to be rustic and imperfect.
Galettes are flaky, rustic, and simple. I love a classic fruit version like this peach galette, but you can also made plenty of savory galettes, such as roasted tomato galette, caramelized onion and goat cheese galette or go sweet and savory with a balsamic strawberry galette.
What ingredients do you need to make a peach galette?
All butter pie crust
Peaches
This recipe calls for 2 large fresh peaches, but you can certainly use frozen or even canned if you wanted. Make sure to drain off any excess liquid before making your filling. You don’t want a soggy, wet galette crust.
Corn Starch
This will help thicken up any juices released by the peaches as they cook. Same thing you would do for a classic fruit pie.
Lemon
The addition of some lemon juice adds a bit of acidity to the super sweet peaches.
Sugar
White granulated sugar is what you want here. Just to add some extra sweetness.
Vanilla Extract
Totally optional, but vanilla and peaches go so well together. You could also use a small amount of almond extract if you wanted. Almond and peaches are a delicious combo.
How to Make this Easy Peach Galette
- Make The Pie Crust Dough – Make the pie crust dough if that’s the route you’re going or take out your pre-made dough from the fridge or freezer so it’s warm enough to work with. Here is my favorite all butter pie crust that I use as a base for these galettes.
- Prepare Your Peach Filling – Get your peach slices and toss with the sugar, corn starch, vanilla and lemon juice.
- Form the Galette – Divide your dough into two sections and roll each out till they are about 1/8” thick. Lay on a parchment lined backing tray and arrange your sliced peaches in the center. You can go ahead and make a nice layered spiral, or just dump ‘em in there. Either way it’ll be delicious. Next, fold over the edges of the dough to overlap the peaches by about an inch. You can then brush with a bit of cream and sprinkle the edges with some sugar.
- Bake – You want to bake the peach galettes for about 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the peaches are bubbling. Let you galettes cool slightly before serving. And, I would recommend topping with some vanilla ice cream, if you’re into that sorta thing. Eat up!
What are some shortcuts for making a galette?
Use premade pie crust
This recipe uses my all-butter pie crust, but you can certainly use a store bought, pre-made pie crust. Anything you like will do. This is a great shortcut and lets you make a galette quickly, really whenever you want. I’ve seen quite a good reviews about the pillsbury pie crust. I haven’t tried it myself, but I’m sure it would be worth a try.
Use puff pastry instead of pie crust
Another galette cheat, if you will, is using puff pastry as a base. The puff pastry will give you a totally different texture compared to a pie crust, but it is wonderful and totally delicious. To bake, follow the package instructions for the puff pastry. You don’t need to worry so much about the fruit cooking in the galette (or potentially overcooking), you just want to make sure you properly cook the puff pastry.
How to store a peach galette
If you happen to have any galette leftover I would recommend storing it at room temperature in an airtight container, or plastic wrap. It should last a day or two.
What are some variations to a peach galette?
Add in Warm Spices
The addition of warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon and ginger would all be a great addition to the peaches.
Use Some Almond extract
Almond and peach go so well together! Add a touch of almond extract in place of the vanilla extract, or it addition to it. You could even add an almond crumble on top for some added texture. Yum so good! Maybe a marzipan layer under the peaches? I’m getting carried away…
Add a Sweetened Cream Cheese Base
Add some sweetened cream cheese as a base before layering on the peaches. It’ll give the galette a peaches and cream vibe. Delicious.
Use Another One of Your Favorite Fruits
Swap out the peaches for another fruit. Go for something seasonal. Try sliced strawberries, any stone fruit like cherries or plums, pears or even rhubarb.
What are some Popular fruit galette fillings?
Mixed Berries
A combination of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
Apple
A classic. Sliced apples with sugar and a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Blueberries
Think classic blueberry pie, but freeform. A great dessert when blueberries are in season.
Pear
Thinly sliced pears, sometimes paired with a sprinkle of cardamom. Or you could go savory with the addition on some blue cheese.
Plum
Pile on lots of juicy plums and a bit of almond extract.
Cherry
Pitted cherries, sweet or sour, with a splash of vanilla. Serve it with vanilla ice cream.
Apricot
Fresh apricots, with a drizzle of honey and some almond. So good.
Fig
Sliced figs, drizzled with honey and a balsamic glaze after it bakes. Some fresh thyme would be great too!
Strawberry-Rhubarb
A classic pairing of sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb.
Nectarine
Similar to this peach version, but with a slightly firmer texture and a more aromatic flavor.
Can I use canned peaches for this galette?
Why not! I say try it out. Drain the peaches well. I would even go so far as to blot them with a paper towel before tossing them in the cornstarch and sugar and layering them on your dough. The texture will be softer than a fresh peach, more custardy, but same great peachy flavor.
Can I use frozen fruit?
Absolutely. Same as with using canned peaches, make sure to remove any excess liquid, and add in an additional 1/2 tsp of corn starch. That additional corn starch will help thicken up some of the excess moisture released by the frozen fruit when cooking. Same thing you would do to thicken the filling of a fruit pie, like a classic blueberry pie.
Easy Peach Galette
Ingredients
- 1 all butter pie crust
- 2 peaches
- 1 tsp corn starch
- squeeze of lemon
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Get your peach slices and toss with the sugar, corn starch, vanilla and lemon juice.
- Next up, divide your dough into two sections and roll each out till they are about 1/8” thick. Lay on a parchment lined backing tray and arrange your sliced peaches in the center. You can go ahead and make a nice layered spiral, or just dump ‘em in there. Either way it’ll be delicious. Next, fold over the edges of the dough to overlap the peaches by about an inch. You can then brush with a bit of cream and sprinkle the edges with some sugar.
- Get your galettes in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and the peaches are bubbling.
- Let you galettes cool slightly before serving. And, I would recommend topping with some vanilla bean ice cream, if you’re into that sorta thing. Eat up!
One thought on Easy Peach Galette
looks delish.