A pretty Summer peach galette that combines a flaky, rustic pie crust with vanilla scented, cinnamon-spiced peaches. Easier than pie, but just as tasty, this simple, sweet dessert easily adapts to feature whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand (peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, blueberries… you name it!).

A summer peach galette via forkknifeswoon.com

A summer peach galette

Despite my penchant for berries, peaches might actually be my very favorite summer fruit to bake with. But, seriously, don’t make me choose. Maybe it’s because local peach season is so fleeting, but there’s something about a perfectly ripe peach, sweet and full of flavor, with syrupy juice that you can’t help but drip down your chin, that just screams Summer.

Of course, homemade peach pie is always a great way to take advantage of those lovely, ambrosial beauties, but an even easier option is a simple peach galette, with flaky pastry crust and caramelized layers of sliced peaches.

Why you’ll love this easy peach tart

Galettes – essentially free form tarts or pastries – are fantastic for showcasing seasonal fruit, and despite their simple construction, make beautiful, albeit rustic, desserts.

And while they combine all the flavors and elements of pie, galettes are much easier and quicker to make. In fact, they’re one of the first desserts I’d recommend for a beginner baker. And while I truly love making pies, sometimes you just need a great pastry, like, now.

The crust begins the same as pie, with the same ingredients (I use my favorite all-butter pastry here), but after being rolled out is then gently folded over layers of subtly-spiced, sugar-kissed fresh peach slices. There’s no crimping or complicated lattice topping and the galette bakes right on a rimmed sheet pan.

A summer peach galette via forkknifeswoon.com

The ingredients you’ll need for a peach galette

This peach galette combines mostly pantry staples to create a simple yet showstopping Summer dessert. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

  • pie crust: my tried-and-true all-butter pie crust is made with flour, sugar, salt, butter, apple cider vinegar, and ice water, and comes together quickly in a food processor.
  • peaches: are the star of the show, so look for the best, in-season fresh peaches you can find.
  • brown sugar: adds sweetness and a hint of caramel.
  • lemon juice: for a bright balance to the otherwise sweet peach filling.
  • vanilla: just a splash of the good stuff.
  • arrowroot starch: thickens the peach juices, and creates a smooth, shiny filling without any noticeable taste.
  • cinnamon and ginger: warming spices complement the natural peach flavors (though with peak season fruit you may not even need them!).
  • salt: a pinch, always, to enhance all the other flavors. My favorite to bake with is Diamond Crystal.
  • apricot (or peach) jelly: optional, but adds a lovely, glossy shine, worthy of a bakery display case.

Find all the measurements and recipe instructions below.

A summer peach galette via forkknifeswoon.com

The best peach galette filling (make it your own)

This peach tart is one of my favorite ways to highlight one of my favorite Summer ingredients: ripe and juicy peaches!

Sliced peaches are tossed with the sugar, lemon, spices, and starch, then layered over the dough. You can arrange the peaches carefully into symmetrical spirals, or pile them unceremoniously into a free-form mound in the center – equally delicious options. You can peel them, or not. The name of the game here is flexibility.

For a shiny bakery style fruit tart finish, I like to brush the peaches with some warmed apricot jam right when the galette comes out of the oven, but this is completely optional. You can also top with sanding sugar or simply leave the top plain. Of course, serving a la mode with scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream is always welcome, too.

Feel free to mix-and-match the peaches with any other stone fruit. Plums, nectarines, apricots, etc. – or even a handful of berries – would all work well. This is a dessert best inspired by the season.

A summer peach galette via forkknifeswoon.com

How to make a galette crust

This peach galette begins with a classic all-butter crust. It’s the same dough I use for pies, and equally delicious in this form. I make mine with a food processor, which works quickly and keeps the butter cold (key for flaky pastry), but you can also go the traditional route and use a pastry blender.

The dough needs to rest for about an hour in the refrigerator before rolling, which allows the gluten in the flour time to relax and the butter to firm up and fully chill. This reduces potential for dough shrinkage, and makes for super buttery, tender, flaky pie crust.

Next, the pastry is rolled out into a roughly 12-inch circle. The peach filling is layered in the center, and the edges are folded around it. Finally, the pastry is brushed with an egg or milk wash, key for that golden shine, and topped with coarse sanding sugar for some sparkle.

Don’t worry if your galette isn’t exactly round or the edges are wonky or uneven. This is a rustic dessert, not an exercise in perfection. As long as the pastry folds around the edges enough to hold the fruit in place, you’re fine. The galette will still emerge from the oven, golden and bubbly, with caramel fruit, delicious and ready to impress.

A summer peach galette via forkknifeswoon.com

Peach Galette FAQs

How do I keep a galette from getting soggy?

There are a few easy ways to ensure a fully cooked galette crust: Bake your galette on a parchment paper-lined heavy bottomed baking sheet. Use a baking stone if you have one. Be sure to use arrowroot starch in the filling. Most importantly, be sure to cook the galette long enough (and tent with foil if the top starts to brown too quickly). You’ll know when it’s done when the crust is golden and the peach juices begin to bubble.

How to store a galette

A baked galette will be fine at room-temperature on the counter for the first day, then keep covered in the refrigerator for up to another 2 days, after which the pastry crust may start to get soggy.

A summer peach galette via forkknifeswoon.com

Other easy and delicious peach recipes to make next:

If you make this peach galette, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked them! ★★★★★ Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura

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A summer peach galette via forkknifeswoon.com

Summer Peach Galette

  • Author: Laura Bolton – Fork Knife Swoon
  • Prep Time: 60
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: 68 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert, Baking
  • Method: Baking, Pastry
  • Cuisine: American, French
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

A pretty Summer peach galette that combines a flaky, rustic pie crust with vanilla scented, cinnamon-spiced peaches. Easier than pie, but just as tasty, this simple, sweet dessert easily adapts to feature whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand (peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, blueberries… you name it!).


Ingredients

Scale

for the all-butter pie pastry:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter
  • 11/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1/2 Tbsp organic cane sugar
  • 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 46 Tbsp ice water

for the peach filling:

  • 3 cups (about 4 medium) peaches, sliced¹
  • 1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch²
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • pinch fine grain sea salt
  • optional: 1 Tbsp apricot or peach jelly
  • optional: egg wash (1 egg yolk + 1 tsp milk) or milk wash and sanding sugar

Instructions

All-Butter Pie Pastry:

  1. Cut the butter into quarter-inch cubes. Place the butter in the freezer for at least ten minutes or until ready to use.
  2. Pulse together the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor, once or twice until just combined. Add the butter cubes to the flour mixture and pulse a few times until the butter is evenly distributed, with the largest butter bits about the size of large peas.
  3. Add the vinegar and ice water, pulsing once or twice between each tablespoon addition. The dough is ready when it appears crumbly, but will easily hold together when pinched between two fingers.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Form into a round, flat disk, working quickly and being careful not to over-handle the dough.
  5. Wrap the disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour prior to rolling it out. The pastry may be made in advance and stored for up to a day in the refrigerator or – if wrapped very tightly in plastic wrap – about a month in the freezer.

Peach Galette:

  1. Prepare the pie pastry: Remove the dough from the fridge. Wait about 5-10 minutes for the dough to warm slightly and become pliable.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. Place the dough in the center of a clean, lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin – I prefer to use a French (tapered) rolling pin – start in the center of the disk, and roll outwards, with firm but gentle pressure. Turn the dough and continue rolling towards the edges. As you work, don’t be afraid to sprinkle additional flour on top of the dough and underneath, as well as on the rolling pin to avoid sticking.
  4. Continue rolling until the dough is about 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick. As the dough gets larger, be careful to apply even pressure with the rolling pin across the entire surface of the dough.
  5. Gently transfer the dough to the sheet pan, being careful not to pull or tear the dough. Place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
  6. Prepare the brown sugar peach filling: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, lemon, vanilla, arrowroot starch, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, until combined. Toss with the peaches.
  7. Assemble the galette: Spoon the peach filling onto the center of the pie pastry, in an even layer or a decorative spiral pattern, leaving about two inches around the edge. Fold the pastry over the peaches, overlapping the dough as needed.
  8. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and generously sprinkle with the demerara sugar.
  9. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the peach juices begin to bubble. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
  10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room-temperature on a baking rack until set. While still warm, carefully brush the top of the peaches with the apricot/peach jelly to lightly glaze. Serve warm with a dusting of confectioners sugar or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!


Notes

¹ Aim for thin, equal peach slices for even baking.

² I’ve tested multiple pie thickeners, and have found that arrowroot starch (a natural plant starch) works the very best. Unlike cornstarch, which can become cloudy and gummy, arrowroot starch creates a smooth, shiny sauce without a noticeably added taste. As a second choice, you can also substitute (blended) instant tapioca pearls. Or, simply don’t worry about it, and enjoy a saucier galette!

Keywords: peach galette, peaches, galette, crostata, tart, peach pie, dessert, baking, summer, brown sugar, stone fruit, butter crust


Originally published on August 19, 2012. Updated photos by Laura Kasavan.