Peach Galette

Kitty FloridoAugust 14, 2014

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Even though both my grandmothers loved to bake pies, I always feared them and loved cake baking instead. Until, I found the Galette. They made me change my mind and this Peach Galette is no different. Both true masters at pie baking, but have different approaches for the pastry. Now that I am venturing more into pie making, I realize that my Grandma Flory prefers a flaky buttery crust, and my Grandma Lucy was more of a shortbread kind-of-girl. I find that depending on my mood (and the filling), I can do either. Both always ruled on one thing: rolling out the perfect circle with just the right excess around it to fold it in and make the best pie decorations. Grandma Lucy was more of a free style decorating: either with a fork or just pressing the sides of the pie crust with her fingers. Grandma Flory is a different story: she has endless pie crust cutters (apples, pumpkins, strawberries), and absolutely rules the lattice top on her Pineapple Pie.

Me, I am absolutely loving Galettes, and even more this Peach Galette. Galettes are like the first cousin of Pies. They are so forgiving. You don’t need to be exact in the shape when rolling out the dough. You need to place the fruit in a pretty design and just let the fruit do the work of looking pretty. You don’t need to add a top to the galette, since the pretty arranged fruit does its job. Sprinkle some sugar on the pastry crust. This will add a beautiful golden color and sweet touch to the dough. This open pie lasted just a few days at home. Store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap to avoid the galette drying up. If it dries up, you can brush a little mango or apricot jam on top!

Since these peaches were extra juicy, I placed the galette in a baking dish rather than a baking sheet. But, if you want you can also bake it in a baking or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. That will make it easier to remove it and to clean up if the juices overflow.

Kitty

Peach Galette

Adapted from Epicurious
Makes 1 9-inch galette, about 8 servings

Ingredients:
½ recipe chilled Paté Brisée (Pie Dough)
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons tapioca flour or all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 to 8 soft peaches, cut into ½-inch-thick wedges
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar to sprinkle

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, add the peach wedges and sprinkle the granulated sugar, flour, and cinnamon on top of the fruit. Toss gently.
In a floured surface, roll out the dough into a round about 11-inches in diameter and ⅛-inch thick. Transfer the pastry to a buttered dish or a parchment-lined baking sheet.
If you are doing the galette in a baking dish like I am, start lining up the wedges from the edges in a single layer concentric circles, continuing until you reach the center of the pie. If you are baking the galette in a baking sheet, starting 1 to 1½-inches from the edge of the round, arrange the peach wedges in a single layer in concentric circles, continuing until you reach the center of the round. If your peaches are extra juicy, leave the extra juice in the bowl so that the filling does not overflow while baking.
Fold the outer edges of the pastry over the peaches, creating overlapping folds as you work around the perimeter.
Beat the egg and cream, brush the pastry border, and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Place the galette in the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
Let the galette cool completely on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Cut into wedges to serve.

Notes: