The Professor and I bought 40 pounds of Georgia peaches last summer and at the time, it seemed like a lot of peaches . . . it was a lot of peaches and we wondered if we’d finish them all over the fall and winter months before this season rolled around.
Apparently, we didn’t need to worry about whether or not we’d finish the lot because we have indeed. After making this summer peach galette, there are only two lone gallon bags left in the freezer which is a good thing because I’ve just received a note saying 2016 is going to be one of the best Georgia peach harvests in more than a decade.
We may be buying more than 40 pounds this season . . .
NOTES: I really love galettes because they’re rustic, unfussy and no crimping of crust required! This one was made with frozen, skin-on peaches because that’s what I had on hand but if you want to use fresh, peeled peaches, by all means go for it – both will taste fabulous! Don’t be surprised that some of the peach liquid will ooze out of the galette onto the parchment – there will be more than enough liquid in the galette and you can trim around the crust before serving.
GLUTEN-FREE SUMMER PEACH GALETTE
Makes 1 Galette
INGREDIENTS:
- Pastry for 1 crust (recipe to follow)
- 5 cups peaches (I used sliced, skin on, frozen peaches)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, potato starch, or GF flour mix
FOR THE CRUST:
Makes a single crust
INGREDIENTS:
- 210 grams GF flour mix (your favorite)
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 Tablespoons butter, cubed and frozen or very well chilled
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste
METHOD FOR THE CRUST:
- Place gluten-free flour mix, brown sugar and kosher salt into the large bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment; pulse a few times to blend dry ingredients and distrubte brown sugar evenly
- Add butter and pulse 8-10 times until butter-flour mixture resembles pea-gravel-sized chunks
- Whisk together egg yolk, cream and vanilla paste; add to flour mixture and pulse until mixture barely begins to come together
- Transfer crust from work bowl into a gallon zippered bag, press into a flattened disk and refrigerate at least 2 hours (overnight is best)
- Remove crust from refrigerator and allow to sit on counter for 15-20 minutes before rolling; this helps to relax the dough making it easier to roll
- Place dough between 2 pieces of parchment and roll into a circle – approximately 12-inches in diameter and about 1/4-inch thick
- Transfer crust, on the parchment, to a large sheet pan and refrigerate until ready to fill
METHOD FOR THE GALETTE:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, toss the peaches with the lemon juice and vanilla paste until well coated
- Place the thickener of your choice, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well; add to peaches and toss with your hands until most of the dry ingredients cling to the peaches
ASSEMBLY:
- Remove crust from refrigerator, peel off top parchment (leave the crust on the bottom parchment and sheet pan) and mound the peaches into the center of the crust leaving about a 2-inch edge all the way around the galette
- Working quickly and starting along the bottom edge, fold sections of the crust upwards toward the center of the galette, continuing all the way around until the entire crust has been folded. If the crust tears or you see areas where it gaps, it’s ok, don’t panic – just pinch the crust together to close any gaps – that’s the beauty of a rustic crust – it’s not supposed to be perfect
- Brush entire crust with a bit of whole milk or cream; sprinkle with a course-grained sugar
- Bake for about 1 hour, rotating every 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling; depending on your oven, it may take a little more or a little less time so watch carefully