Perfect Peach Galette

Rustic fruit pies, also known as galettes, are an easy way to enjoy the bounty of summer fruits without the hassle of messing with fussy pie dough. 

This recipe might seem a little strange at first but the science behind it is simple. Gluten forms when water is mixed in with wheat flour, and the more you knead the dough the more gluten that forms. This recipe is an homage to the vodka-based pie crust from the test kitchen at Cooks Illustrated. Using vodka and not water, allows you to knead the dough longer without worrying about too much gluten forming. The alcohol bakes completely out of the dough so you don’t have to worry about serving a boozy pie.

The results are a hassle-free, flaky pie crust that will make it seem like you’ve been baking pies for years.

Ingredients – Crust

• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chilled vodka
• 2 tablespoons chilled apple cider vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour (12.5 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• *2 tablespoons water

Ingredients – Filling

• 6 pitted and sliced peaches
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt

Instructions

Slice butter into quarter-sized pieces. Lay on parchment paper or a plate and freeze while getting the rest of the ingredients ready. Also, measure out vodka and apple cider vinegar and place measuring container in the freezer.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a food processor or a pastry cutter add frozen butter and pulse/chop until they are pea-sized pieces. Pour in vodka and apple cider vinegar. Mix, with a spoon or in the food processor, until you and pinch the dough and it sticks together. The dough will smell like vinegar but that will bake out.

Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a mound and knead slightly until the dough comes together and no dry spots remain. Divide into two pieces, flatten into a 1″ thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap or sealed container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Pit and slice peaches. In a bowl mix together the rest of the filling ingredients. Place peach slices in a bowl and gently hand mix to combine. Set aside

Remove one dough disk from the refrigerator. Lightly flour a surface and place unwrapped disk onto the floured area. Lightly coat the top with flour. Using a rolling pin flatten the dough until it is approximately 14″ in diameter or roughly 1/4″ thick. Transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Dust the top of the flattened dough with a sprinkle of corn starch and spread it evenly across the surface with your hand. This will help seal the dough so that the wet peaches don’t wet the dough.

Leaving approximately 2″ of border fill the center of the dough with peaches. Leave the remaining liquid in the bowl. Fold the edges inward. Using the remaining liquid from the bowl brush the outside of the dough. Alternatively, you could brush the dough with milk or an egg white.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool out of the oven for 15-30 minutes before serving so that the filling won’t be liquidy. The added corn starch gels the liquid in the filling so that it isn’t runny.

Nutrient information provided using Lose It! App

Peach Galette (using a non-dairy butter)

Servings 8 | 346 Calories per Serving

46.6 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 11.3 g fat; 2.9 g fiber; 105 mg sodium