Peach Galette

How to Make Peach Galette

What is a Galette?

‘Galette’ is a French term to describe what is essentially a free-form flat pie that is much easier, quicker, and less temperamental than a traditional pie. There’s no pie pan and no fluting or crimping involved! It also cooks and cools much faster to satisfy your craving, stat. Think of this peach galette as the slightly more informal, rustic cousin to the peach pie. Still impressive, but easier and quicker.

Is Galette Dough The Same As Pie Dough?

Yes! We are using my Best Ever Pie Crust, which is my go-to all-butter pie crust, full of buttery flavor and perfectly flaky. You can make even quicker work of this using a food processor. Tips on pie crust below, and even more in the full Pie Crust post. I don’t recommend substituting a store-bought pie crust because they’re typically thinner, less flaky, and less flavorful than a homemade pie crust. I encourage you to give my recipe a try!

Tips for Rolling Out Pie Dough for Peach Galette

Here are my top 3 tips for rolling out pie dough. I have lots more tips in my full Pie Crust post.

1. Keep everything as cold as possible. If your kitchen is warm, fill freezer bags with ice and a little water and set them on your work surface for 10 minutes, to chill it down before rolling out your pie dough.
2. Flour your work surface, the dough itself, and your rolling pin throughout the process. I recommend investing in a flour shaker (to easily add a sprinkle of all-purpose flour wherever needed) and a bench scraper (helps to keep the dough moving as you roll it out, which is essential to prevent sticking).
3. Chill when needed. If the butter begins to get melty or sticky at any point, return the dough to the fridge or freezer immediately. Continue once the butter is cold and firm.

What Type of Peaches Should I Use for Peach Galette?

• Fresh peaches are recommended for this peach galette recipe, when possible.
• Frozen peaches are your best bet if your local peaches are not in season.
• Team HTH tested if thawing the frozen peaches was necessary, and it’s not. However, if using frozen peaches, increase the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons. If using thawed, you may proceed with the recipe as written.
• You may need to adjust the sugar levels slightly in this recipe, depending on the sweetness of your peaches.
• In testing this recipe, Team HTH found that canned peaches are too bland and too wet for this recipe, resulting in an undesirable flavor and texture, as well as a soggy bottom. Avoid canned peaches for this recipe.

Picking Ripe Peaches for Peach Galette

Picking out perfectly ripe peaches can be super tricky, but here are a few quick tips. Underripe peaches will be hard and not sweet, and overripe peaches will release too much liquid as they bake and result in a soggy crust. Here are some tips to help you select the perfect peaches:

• Scent: Give it a sniff! They should have a noticeable sweet aroma.
• Appearance: Ripe peaches should have a dark yellow or orange shade to the outer skin. A green color means they’re underripe.
• Feel: When you delicately squeeze a peach, it shouldn’t be rock-hard or super soft. A perfectly ripe peach should have a little bit of give, but your fingers shouldn’t leave indentations.
• If your peaches are underripe, place them in a brown bag to help speed up the ripening process.

How Do I Keep A Galette From Getting Soggy?

1. Bake on a parchment paper-lined quality baking sheet, like this one.
2. Use a baking stone if you have one, and place it on the bottom rack in the oven as it preheats. Bake on a baking sheet placed on top of the baking stone.
3. Don’t skip the cornstarch in the recipe, to avoid a runny filling and soggy bottom.
4. Drain the excess liquid from the peach mixture as you add them to the crust.
5. Most importantly, be sure to cook the galette completely. The galette is fully baked when the crust is deep golden brown and the peaches are bubbling. An underbaked galette will be soggy and runny.

How to Store Peach Galette

Store leftover peach galette in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Refresh in a 300°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, if desired.

Can You Freeze Peach Galette?

Yes! There are two ways.

1. Freeze after assembling but before egg washing or baking. Increase cornstarch to 2 tablespoons. Freeze fully assembled on a sheet pan until solid then place in an airtight container. Bake from frozen, adding about 5 extra minutes to the baking time. This is a great way to prep for the holidays!
2. Freeze after baking. Let cool completely then freeze on a sheet pan until solid. Move to an airtight container. Let thaw at room temperature then refresh in a 350°F oven until warmed through and the crust is re-crisped, about 10-15 minutes.