Our family goes through bushels and bushels of peaches every summer. We eat most of them out of hand, but I always try to make some of our favorite peach desserts and try a few new ones each peach season. This peach galette has been on my list for a long time and it did not disappoint. A galette is like a laid-back pie: it’s a simple pastry with a free-form crust that you fold over your favorite sweet or savory filling to partially enclose the filling. They are super easy to make and perfect for any occasion! It’s based on my classic southern peach pie, but pared down with just one crust that is open on top to expose the peaches which roast and slightly caramelize in the oven. A galette is sort of a cross between a pie and a tart and it’s rustic and simple and wonderful. Don’t feel like you have pie crust skills? No worries because there’s no transferring the crust to a pie plate (affiliate link) and risking it tearing or fancy crimping or lattice skills necessary. You literally just roll out the crust in a big circle, add the filling to the center of the crust, then fold the edges over and bake. Tears or imperfections just add to the rustic charm of a galette.
What You’ll Need
Pie Crust – If you already have a pie crust in the freezer (or just want to use a storebought pie crust) you can use that. Otherwise, my all-butter pie crust recipe that I share below is just flour, sugar, salt, butter, and water and it comes together in 5 minutes. The flavor and texture beats anything form the store. Peaches – You’ll need about 5 fresh, large peaches. They should be ripe but firm – not super soft but not crunchy either. When you squeeze them they should have just a little give rather than being rock hard but they shouldn’t be mushy or bruised. Sugar – You need granulated sugar to sweeten the peaches a bit, and some coarse sanding sugar for the edges of the galette to give them just a little sweetness and crunch. Cinnamon – Peaches and cinnamon are a perfect combo, like chocolate and strawberries. Cornstarch – This helps thicken the peach filling just enough so that it is still juicy but helps thicken up some of the liquid from the peaches. Vanilla Extract – Even a small amount of vanilla helps round out and balance the other flavors in most baked goods. Egg – This is used for an egg wash to brush the edges of the galette crust for a golden brown crust and to help the coarse sugar stick.
How to Make a Peach Galette
Recipe Tips
Layer the peaches close together. As the peaches bake down they will shrink slightly so for a generous filling you want the peach slices to be overlapping a bit. Don’t skip the sanding sugar and egg wash. An egg wash doesn’t add flavor to a galette, but without it the crust won’t turn that beautiful shade of golden brown and instead have a slightly pale, anemic look. And the sanding sugar is a must both for sparkle, flavor, and crunch. Make sure to bake the galette long enough. Even if the crust looks done on top, it might still need to bake a little longer for the bottom to be cooked through.
