A free-form, rustic French tart with sliced fresh peaches fanned over a buttery almond cream on rough-edged pastry, golden and fragrant and completely achievable for any home baker.
About This Recipe
A galette is the most forgiving pastry you can make because its imperfections are its charm. The rough, free-form edges folded over the fruit filling, the visible cracks in the pastry from the folding, the irregular shape: all of these are features rather than failures. The galette excuses the home baker from the precision of a tart tin and celebrates instead the rustic beauty of something made quickly and confidently from good ingredients.
Frankipane, the almond cream spread beneath the peaches, is the element that most elevates this galette from a simple fruit pastry to something genuinely special. Ground almonds, butter, sugar, and eggs beaten together to a smooth paste and spread over the pastry before the fruit is arranged, it bakes into a nutty, fragrant cushion that absorbs the peach juices and provides a soft, flavourful layer between the crisp pastry and the tender fruit. Without it the galette is pleasant. With it, it is excellent.
The peaches must be ripe but not overripe. Very firm peaches have insufficient flavour and natural sweetness. Very ripe peaches are too soft and produce a watery, structureless filling that makes the pastry soggy. Peaches that yield slightly when pressed and smell fragrant are at the right point. They should be sliced thickly enough to hold their shape during baking, approximately one centimetre, and fanned over the almond cream in overlapping concentric circles for the most attractive presentation.
History and Origins
The galette is one of the oldest pastry formats in the French tradition, predating the structured tart by centuries. The word galette comes from the Norman French word gale meaning flat cake, and galettes of various kinds have been made across France since the medieval period. The free-form fruit galette with almond cream filling became particularly popular in the late 20th century as home bakers sought impressive but achievable alternatives to the precision of formal French tart making.
Why It Is Good For You
Peaches provide vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and dietary fibre. They also provide phenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Ground almonds provide vitamin E, magnesium, and healthy monounsaturated fats. This galette provides meaningful nutritional value from both the fruit and the almond filling.
Peach Galette
Course: Pie u0026amp; Tart6
servings25
minutes35
minutes2520
kcalIngredients
•tFor pastry: 200g plain flour, 100g cold butter, 1 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt, 3 to 4 tbsp ice water
•tFor almond cream: 60g soft butter, 60g sugar, 60g ground almonds, 1 egg, 0.5 tsp vanilla
•t4 ripe peaches halved stoned and sliced into 1cm slices
•t2 tbsp sugar for sprinkling
•t1 egg beaten for wash
•t2 tbsp apricot jam warmed for glaze
Directions
- Make pastry, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Beat all almond cream ingredients together until smooth.
- Preheat oven to 200C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Roll pastry into a rough 35cm circle on the baking paper.
- Spread almond cream over the centre leaving a 5cm border.
- Fan peach slices over the almond cream in overlapping circles.
- Fold the pastry border up over the edge of the fruit, pleating as you go.
- Brush pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle everything with sugar.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until pastry is golden and fruit is tender.
- Brush warm fruit with apricot glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature
Notes
- The rough edges and imperfect shape are correct and desirable. This is a rustic tart not a formal one.
The almond cream layer must cover the pastry base within the folded border. It absorbs the peach juices.
The apricot glaze applied while warm makes the fruit glossy and prevents it from drying out.
This galette is excellent at room temperature and does not need to be served warm
Make Ahead Tips
The pastry can be made up to 3 days ahead. The almond cream keeps refrigerated for 3 days. Assemble and bake fresh. The baked galette keeps at room temperature for 24 hours.
Storage and Serving
Store at room temperature covered for up to 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 2 days but the pastry softens. Reheat in a 170C oven for 8 minutes to crisp the pastry. Serve with creme fraiche, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream.
Variations and Substitutions
Replace peaches with nectarines, plums, apricots, or pears depending on season. Replace almond cream with frangipane made from hazelnuts for a different nut flavour. Add a teaspoon of vanilla to the fruit alongside a tablespoon of brown sugar. Make a berry galette by replacing peaches with mixed berries tossed with sugar and cornflour.
