Berry Galette

A Beautiful Berry Galette

I just love this summer pie. I don’t like to fuss much in the kitchen during the summer months which is one of the main reasons I really appreciate a galette. The crust is “rustic”, meaning that it doesn’t require a lot of monkey business, as my Grandpa used to say. This berry galette is filled to the brim with beautiful juicy berries and is best served warm, with a scoop of ice cream. It’s so delicious and you’re going to love it!

What Is A Galette?

A galette is the carefree cousin of pie. It’s a traditional French dessert and the literal translation is “flat pastry cake.” The crust of a galette is simply folded over the edges of the filling and pleated together in a free-form manner. A galette is baked on a baking sheet instead of in a pie dish, which ensures that the pastry gets nicely crisp all the way around. You only need to roll out one crust for a galette because the top is left open to display the gorgeous array of fruit inside.

About This Berry Galette

Easier to make than a pie. I guess I’ve already made that point but it truly is an unfussy pie to make. You don’t need to worry about ragged pastry edges, crimping, or fancy lattice tops. This is a casual pie! My pastry recipe is super easy (you can use a food processor to make it) but if you want, buy a refrigerated pie crust and use that instead of making your own pastry for an even easier galette.

Versatile. This berry galette can be made with a mix of berries or just one type of berry. A mixture of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries is beautiful and you’ll love how it tastes, but feel free to use just two kinds of berries, or even all one kind. Other types of fruit can be used too. Once you learn the technique of making a galette, I guarantee you’ll turn to this easy dessert often.

Ingredient Notes

• All-Purpose Flour: You don’t need fancy pastry flour; regular all-purpose flour works fine.
• Unsalted Butter: You want the butter to be very cold to make the pastry. Keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
• Granulated Sugar: I like to add a tablespoon of sugar to the crust mixture for a touch of sweetness. Regular white sugar is all you need.
• Salt: A dash of salt balances things out. Without it, the crust would taste flat or bland.
• Mixed Berries: Any kind of berries will work here. For the galette pictured, I used a mixture of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Look for fruit that’s in season and available. Frozen fruit works well, too.
• Honey: I like to use honey to sweeten the berries because it not only adds sweetness, it also has a distinctive flavor.
• Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: Just a touch of acidity keeps the flavor of the filling exciting and bold.
• Tapioca Starch: A close cousin to cornstarch, tapioca starch is the new kid on the block. It’s made from dried cassava and is sometimes called tapioca flour. In this recipe, the starch helps thicken the juices from the fruit, keeping your galette from getting soggy. You can use cornstarch if you don’t have tapioca.
• Egg Wash: A large egg is whisked with a few tablespoons of water and brushed onto the turned-over edge of the crust. It gives the crust a shiny crisp surface. Sprinkle the moistened crust with coarse sugar, such as sanding sugar or turbinado sugar, for a nice crunchy texture.

How To Make A Galette

Prepare the pie crust dough. I like to use a food processor to make the pastry dough but you can easily make it with a pastry cutter or even a fork. Measure the flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of the food processor. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add it to the flour mixture. Pulse a few times, until the butter is broken up into small pieces and somewhat incorporated into the flour. The mixture will look crumbly.

Add ice water to the mixture, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until you see the dough starting to come together. Press the mixture with your fingertips to see if it holds together. Once it does, you’ve added enough water, usually three to five tablespoons.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and mold it into a flattened ball or disk shape. Wrap the dough well (I usually use plastic wrap) and refrigerate it at least 20 to 30 minutes, while you make the filling.

Prepare the berry filling. Rinse the berries well, removing any stems, hulls, or debris. Dry them as much as possible so you don’t have excess water in the filling. If the berries are large (I’m thinking of strawberries in particular), slice them into bite-sized pieces.

Gently mix the berries with the honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, and tapioca starch (or cornstarch). Use a gentle touch; you don’t want to crush the berries. Set the berry mixture aside for about 15 minutes. This gives the berries a chance to macerate. The honey draws out the juices of the berries and enhances their natural sugars.

In the meantime, preheat the oven and line a baking sheet, stone, or sheet pan with parchment paper. I often use a rimmed pan because sometimes excess juice may run out of the galette. You don’t want that in the bottom of your oven!

Assemble the galette. Take the chilled dough out of the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large circle, about a quarter-inch thick. Carefully transfer the crust to the center of the prepared pan. If you get a small hole or tear, don’t worry, just pinch the edges together to mend it.

Scoop the berries out of the mixing bowl using a slotted spoon, leaving the excess juice in the bowl. Evenly arrange the filling on the crust, leaving approximately a two-inch border to fold over.

Fold the dough border over the edges of the berries, pleating and pinching the edges together as you go, to form a crust. Refer to the photos if you’re uncertain how this is supposed to look. Don’t worry about getting everything all even and pretty! Remember, you’re going for a rustic casual look.

Add egg wash. Whisk together a large egg and a tablespoon of water until well-combined. Brush the egg mixture on the edges of the crust, the part that is showing. Sprinkle coarse sugar on the egg-washed crust.

Bake the galette. Put the galette into the preheated oven and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the berries are softened. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing it.

Serve. Serve your berry galette slightly warm, with a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream melting on each slice. Vanilla frozen yogurt is great too, or a swirl of homemade whipped cream. Garnish with a few fresh berries, if you have any extra.

Recipe Variations

• Use a different fruit. A galette can be made with any mixture of berries. You can also make a galette with other types of fruit, such as cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, or apples.
• Substitute frozen fruit. If fresh fruit isn’t available, frozen fruit works well, too. There’s no need to thaw it first.
• Add flavoring. You can enhance the flavor of the filling with spices such as cinnamon, ginger (fresh or ground), nutmeg, and so on. Finely minced fresh herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, or lavender can be added. Make your choice based on the fruit you choose.
• Take a shortcut. Buy a refrigerated pie crust instead of making your own pastry.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: If you happen to have any leftover galette, cool it completely before covering it. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat: This galette can be enjoyed cold, room temperature, or warm. If you’d like to reheat it, preheat the oven to 350ºF and bake the galette for about 10 minutes, or until it’s warm.