If there is one dessert that perfectly captures the season, it’s a rustic peach and apricot galette. No fancy lattice, no crimped edges worthy of a pastry competition, and no special pan required. Just buttery pastry folded over juicy summer fruit and baked until golden. It’s delightfully unfussy, which may be exactly why the French have been making versions of it for centuries.
The word “galette” comes from the French word “galet“, meaning a smooth, flat stone, and over time it came to describe a variety of flat, free-form pastries and cakes found throughout France. The fruit galette we know today is essentially pie’s laid-back French cousin. It skips the precision of a traditional tart in favor of rustic folds that are meant to look imperfect. In fact, if your galette looks a little uneven, congratulations—you made it correctly.
That’s one of the many reasons I love them. Along with fruit crisps, galettes are one of those desserts every home cook should have in their back pocket. They’re approachable, forgiving, and somehow always manage to look effortlessly elegant. Even if you don’t consider yourself much of a baker, this is one dessert that won’t make you question your life choices halfway through.
The two keys to a memorable galette are simple: great pastry and exceptional fruit. While I know homemade pie dough isn’t everyone’s favorite weekend project, this is one recipe where it’s worth the extra effort. My pie dough comes together quickly in a stand mixer, freezes beautifully, and bakes into the kind of flaky, buttery crust that makes people ask for your secret. If homemade simply isn’t in the cards, choose a high-quality all-butter store-bought crust. There really is a difference. Butter creates layers and flavor that shortening simply can’t match.
Stone Fruit
Then comes the fruit. Peaches and apricots are two of summer’s greatest gifts, and together they strike the perfect balance. Peaches bring juicy sweetness, while apricots add just enough bright, tangy flavor to keep every bite interesting. Use ripe, fresh fruit here—this is not the time for canned or frozen. The extra moisture will overwhelm the pastry, leaving you with a soggy crust instead of crisp, flaky layers. Besides, summer only lasts so long. Fresh peaches and apricots deserve their moment.
This stone fruit galette is proof that simple desserts are often the most satisfying. Rustic, buttery, and bursting with seasonal fruit, it’s equally at home at a backyard barbecue, a casual dinner party, or on the porch with some fresh whipped cream or a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream while you quietly congratulate yourself for choosing galette over pie. Sometimes taking the easy route is also the tastiest one.
Peach Apricot Galette
Ingredients:
For the Pastry Dough:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 1/4-1/2 cup cold water
For the Galette:
- 1 1/2 pounds (about 3 cups) mix of peaches and apricots (peaches can be peeled or left unpeeled), sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Fresh whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream or garnish (optional)
Directions:
- For the Pastry Dough: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, such as a Cuisinart, fitted with a metal blade attachment. Pulse on/off to incorporate. Add the butter and continue pulsing until the dough resembles coarse meal.
- With the machine running, slowly add the water in a steady stream. Pulse till the dough has just come together. Be careful not to overmix.
- With your hands, form the dough into a round flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. For the Galette: Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the fruit, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Gently toss to coat and set near your workstation.
- On a well-floured work surface, roll out pate brisee into a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
- Arrange fruit nicely in the center, overlapping, leaving a 1 1/2-2-inch border. Gently fold the dough over the fruit, pleating it slightly as you go, creating a border to enclose fruit. Leave the center open with some fruit visible. Note: This is a rustic dessert; it does not need to look perfect.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the dough all over with egg, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Place on the middle rack and bake until golden brown and bubbling in the center, about 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit juices are syrupy.
- Cool galette before slicing. Serve with a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream.
