Peach Galette (free form pie)

serves 8

Pastry ingredients:

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

¼ tsp salt

½ cup cold butter, cubed

4 tsp ice cold water

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Optional:

1 tablespoon beaten egg or cream

1 tsp coarse sugar

Filling ingredients:

½ cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour or tapioca flour

½ tsp ground cinnamon

6-8 peaches

Directions:

To make the pastry, whirl flour with granulated sugar and salt in a food processor.  Add butter.   Pulse until crumbs form.  With the motor running, add ice water and lemon juice.  Continue whirling just until dough comes together into a rough clump.  Do not overwork the dough to avoid toughness.  (Alternately, combine the dry pastry ingredients in a bowl, and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it has a sand-like texture.  Add water and lemon juice, and gently mix by hand until dough forms a rough clump.  Do not knead!)

Flatten the dough into a disk about 1 to 1 ½ inches thick.   Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 ½ to 2 hours.  You can prepare dough ahead of time and chill for up to three days.

When you are ready to make the galette, pull the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit for about 20 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Position a rack in the bottom of your oven.

Wash the peaches.  Peel them if you wish.  Remove pits and cut into ¼ - ½ inch wedges.  Place them into a bowl with the sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Toss gently to mix.

Lay a piece of parchment paper on counter.  Sprinkle lightly with flour.  Dust rolling pin (or clean wine bottle) with flour.  Roll pastry on parchment into a circle, about 12 inches wide.  Pastry will be very thin and edges will be uneven.  Transfer parchment paper and pastry to baking pan.

Starting 1 ½ inches from the edge of the round, arrange the peach slices on the pastry.

Fold the outer edges of the pastry over the peaches, creating overlapping folds.  

Optional: Brush the pastry border with beaten egg or cream, and sprinkle with the course sugar.

Bake 40 – 50 minutes on lower rack in oven until the pastry is golden, and peach filling is bubbling.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!