Peach Galette Recipe: Tips for Making a Peach Galette

A galette is a free-form dessert that’s sealed simply by folding the edges of a flaky pie crust over a mounded filling. Also called a crostata, a galette gets baked on a sheet tray and can feature a variety of fillings, including sweet fruits or savory cheeses and roasted vegetables.

There are a couple of differences between a galette and a tart. Galettes are free-form, meaning they do not need to go in a pie tin or tart pan; the pie crust simply gets folded over the filling. On the other hand, a tart has a sweetened crust baked in a fluted or flat-sided tin.

Another difference lies in the crust recipe. Galette crust is similar to pie dough in that it contains just butter, flour, salt, and water and has flaky layers. Tart crust often gets sweetened with sugar and has a shortcrust, like a sugar cookie or shortbread cookies.

Here’s how to make a flaky peach galette at home.

1. 1. Keep the dough chilled. When cold butter melts, it creates steam, which results in flaky layers. If the dough is warm, the butter softens and melts straight out of the dough, which leads to a chewy, tough crust.
2. 2. Try different fruits. Along with juicy peaches, summer stone fruits like plums, cherries, nectarines, and apricots also work well in galettes. Top the dessert with your favorite vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a winning combination.
3. 3. Slice the peaches thinly. You want the filling and pastry dough to cook at even rates, and the easiest way to achieve that is to use even, thinly sliced fruit that will soften and release juices while the pastry bakes.
4. 4. Use cornstarch. Adding a bit of cornstarch to your galette filling will give it that thickened, nostalgic gooeyness of a peach pie. As your galette bakes, the fresh peaches release their juices and come to a boil, allowing the starch to thicken the liquid. A thick filling will also help prevent the pie crust from getting soggy.

There are a few ways to make sure your galette bottom stays crisp instead of getting soggy.

1. 1. Brush the interior crust with egg white. Brushing the interior crust of the galette with egg white before adding the filling is a tried and true method for preventing a soggy bottom. The egg white creates a seal that prevents excess moisture from soaking into the crust.
2. 2. Add a bottom layer. For an extra pop of flavor and texture, coat the bottom of the galette with semolina flour, crushed cookies, or breadcrumbs before adding the filling. Add about a quarter cup as a base layer before adding the fruit. The crumbs will soak up the juices from the filling, so the bottom of the crust stays protected.
3. 3. Use a pizza stone. The radiant heat of a pizza stone helps any excess moisture evaporate more quickly and keeps the bottom of the crust super crisp. Preheat the pizza stone in the oven and slide the galette onto it using parchment paper when you’re ready to bake.