Easy Rustic Peach Galette
This easy peach galette is a rustic, free-form pastry packed with juicy summer peaches, a hint of cinnamon, and a flaky, buttery crust. No pie pan required.
Why You'll Love This Easy Peach Galette
There is something irresistible about a rustic peach galette. It has all the charm of a peach pie, but none of the fuss. No crimping a perfect pie crust, no blind baking, no stress about a soggy bottom. Just a free form, buttery pastry folded around sweet, juicy peaches and baked until golden. If you have been searching for an easy peach galette that actually delivers bakery level results at home, this is the recipe to bookmark.
This peach galette recipe is a wonderful entry point if you have never made a French style fruit tart before. The dough comes together quickly, the filling needs just a few pantry staples, and the whole thing bakes on a single sheet pan. It is the kind of dessert that looks like it took hours of practice, when really it took about twenty five minutes of hands on work.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A sturdy rolling pin helps you get an even, thin crust that bakes up crisp rather than doughy, and a good pastry cutter makes working cold butter into the flour so much easier on your hands. These are the products that genuinely help this recipe shine:
Choosing the Best Peaches for Your Galette
The peaches are the star here, so it pays to choose well. Look for peaches that are fragrant and give slightly when pressed, but are not mushy. Overripe peaches release too much liquid in the oven, which can leave you with a soggy crust.
- Freestone peaches are easiest to slice since the pit separates cleanly.
- If peaches are not in season, frozen sliced peaches make a fine substitute.
- No need to peel them. The skins soften beautifully during baking and add a lovely rosy color to the filling.
Chef's Tip: If your peaches feel extra juicy, toss them with an additional teaspoon of cornstarch before filling the dough. This keeps your galette filling thick and jammy instead of watery.
The Secret to a Flaky, Foolproof Crust
A great peach galette recipe lives and dies by its crust, and the secret is simple: keep everything cold. Cold butter, cold water, even a quick chill of the flour if your kitchen runs warm. As the butter melts in the oven, it creates little pockets of steam that puff the dough into flaky, tender layers.
Work the butter into the flour just until you see pea sized crumbs, not a smooth paste. A few visible streaks of butter are exactly what you want. Then add ice water gradually, just enough for the dough to hold together without becoming sticky or tough.
Chef's Tip: Resist the urge to overwork the dough. The less you handle it, the flakier your crust will turn out.
Assembling and Baking Your Galette
Once your dough has chilled and your peaches are tossed with sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and a splash of lemon juice, it is time to bring it all together. Roll the dough into a rough circle, mound the peaches in the center, and fold the edges over in loose, overlapping pleats. There is no need for perfection. The slightly imperfect, hand folded look is exactly what gives this rustic peach galette its homemade charm.
A brush of egg wash and a sprinkle of coarse sugar on the crust gives it that golden, glistening, bakery style finish. Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Easy Rustic Peach Galette
This easy peach galette is a rustic, free-form pastry packed with juicy summer peaches, a hint of cinnamon, and a flaky, buttery crust. No pie pan required.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- 3/8 cup granulated sugar, divided, plus extra for sprinkling crust
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 1/4 cup ice water, plus more as needed
- 4 ripe peaches, sliced thin, peeling optional
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling, optional
Instruction
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and salt.
Add the cold cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
Drizzle in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss the sliced peaches with the remaining sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a bowl. Let sit while the dough chills.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the peach slices in the center, leaving a 2-inch border, then fold the edges of the dough up and over the fruit, pleating as you go.
Brush the folded crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the peach juices are bubbling.
Let the galette cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or fork
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
Notes
Serving, Storing, and Variations
This peach galette is best served slightly warm, with the crust still crisp and the filling soft and syrupy. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream takes it over the top.
For storage, keep leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerate for up to four days. A few minutes in a warm oven will revive the crust's crispness before serving again.
Looking to switch things up? This dough and method works beautifully with other stone fruits like plums or nectarines, or even a mix of berries folded in alongside the peaches for a colorful summer fruit galette. However you make it, this easy peach galette recipe is proof that the most rustic desserts are often the most memorable ones.
