Stone Fruit Gallette

A more rustic version of a fruit pie, with a wonderful crisp and flakey pastry and delicious stone fruit.

During lockdown, galette’s flooded my instagram feed and it was then that I was introduced to this “tart”. It is a more rustic version than a pretty adorned pie. It does not have all the fuss of blind baking a pastry, but still delivers on a wonderful crunch and flakey base which incases the fruit.

Let’s talk fruit. I have used stone fruit here as this is what was in season, but you can experiment with cherries, blueberries, ruhbarb, roasted strawberries … the list is exstensive. I do love how beautifully the stone fruit arranges however, and forms a mesmerizing wheel.

The challenge with most pastry recipes is trying to avoid the ever dreaded soggy bottom. The hack of adding a ground almond base here, helps to prevent that from happening, it also adds a nice textural contrast to the soft fruit and crunchy base.

If you do not want to make your own pastry, you can use store bought puff pastry. Though the concept of making pastry should not be as daunting as many find it to be. As usual, I have tried to be as thorough as possible in order to

This recipe was adapted from Bianca Zapatka and the pastry from Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh’s book, Sweet.

If you make this recipe, please share it with me by tagging me on Instagram @adventureswithsugar or on Facebook at Adventures with Sugar.

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT MAKING THIS RECIPE?

• As usual, I have simply broken the recipe up into different components, so do not be alarmed by the many steps.
• Can the pastry be made in advance? The pastry can be made up to two days in advance.
• Pastry always feels intimidating! This pastry is incredibly simple and difficult to mess up. The only important thing to do is freeze the butter. Also, freeze the flour, sugar and baking powder. Do not overwork the pastry – this is best done by finishing it off by hand.
• How do I prevent a soggy bottom? Usually, blind baking a crust helps to prevent soggy bottoms, but the almond base here assists with that.
• My pastry has been out too long whilst I arrange my fruit. It is important that you work quickly when arranging the fruit. If the pastry gets too soft, place it in the fridge for 45 minutes before baking.
• Help, the demerara sugar and almonds are burning around the pastry edge. Cover it with some foil.

PASTRY

• 120 grams salted butter, fridge-cold, cut into 2-cm cubes
• 185 grams cake flour, plus extra for dusting
• ⅛  tsp baking powder
• 85 grams full fat cream cheese, fridge cold, cut into 2-cm cubes
• 2-3 tablespoons whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

METHOD

1. Wrap the cubes of butter in plastic wrap and freeze until solid. Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a re-sealable freezer bag and freeze for at least 30 minutes. (Do not skip this step).
2. Once the above have chilled in the freezer, add the flour mix to a food processor and process for about 30 seconds.
3. Add in the cold cream cheese and process for a further 20 seconds, until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
4. Add in the butter and pulse to form uneven crumbs, some will be pea-sized and others small.
5. Add two tablespoons of the whipping cream and the vinegar and pulse until the mixture becomes line fine breadcrumbs. Take a bit of the dough and pinch it between your fingers. If it sticks together, it is fine. If not, then add the other tablespoon of cream.
6. The pastry will not come together in the food processor. Tip it out and knead with your hands until the pastry just comes together. Do not overknead.
7. Flatten it into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (or up to two days).

BASE

• 50 grams ground almonds
• 30g caster sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cake flour

METHOD

1. Mix all the ingredients and set aside.

STONE FRUIT

• 2 Plums
• 2 Nectarines
• 2 Peaches
• 4 apricots
• 40g sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cornflour
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice (optional)

METHOD

1. Halve and pit the stone fruit and slice thinly. In a small bowl stir together the sugar and cornflour. Add this mixture in the fruit along with the lemon juice, and gently toss until the fruit is coated evenly.

GLAZE

• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 Tablespoon demerara sugar
• 1 Tablespoon flaked almonds

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
2. Remove the disc from the fridge and let it stand for 5 minutes so it is not so hard, that when you try and fold the edges, the pastry breaks.
3. Place the dough onto lightly floured baking paper and roll the do out, until it is around 38cm wide and 2mm thick.
4. Trim the edges so that the dough makes a nice circular shape.
5. Transfer the dough along with the baking paper onto a large baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle the almond mixture to allow in a 25cm circle, in the middle of the pastry.
7. Arrange the fruit onto the almond base. Then carefully draw the pastry boarder up and over the fruit, roughly pleating it as you go. Leave an area of the fruit-filled center of the gallete exposed.
8. If the pastry has become too soft, place the galette back in the fridge for an hour before baking.
9. Beat the egg and water in a bowl to combine, and brush over the outside of the pastry. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and flaked almonds.
10. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, rotating the tray once. until the galette is golden.
11. Remove from the oven and set aside on the wire rack to cool before serving, with ice cream or whipped cream.

Recipe from adventureswithsugar.com