Summer baking is the best. Yes, it’s hot and no one feels much like looking at a stove, but early morning is actually a good time to indulge in a little dough rolling. It’s quiet and still cool, so turning on the oven is tolerable. Baking with summer fruit is very satisfying. Voluptuous, juicy, overripe peaches, nectarines and plums wrapped up in pastry – or fresh, plump blueberries and raspberries bubbling in a cobbler and topped with melting ice cream, honestly, who doesn’t love that?
Free-form galettes (also called crostatas) are easy to put together and look beautifully imperfect and hand-made. The dough can be made in about 10 minutes in a food processor and then rolled out and wrapped around whatever fruit you wish. I had some nectarines and plums that were really too ripe for eating, but perfect for baking. We’re in the thick of blueberry season here in Vermont, so those ended up in the mix as well. I put a layer of ground almonds and sugar (an easy frangipane) on the dough before piling on the fruit, which keeps the tart bottom nice and crisp.
- 1¼ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
- ¼-1/3 cup cold water
- 1 cup almonds, toasted
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 nectarines, stone removed and sliced
- 2 plums, stone removed and sliced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- First, make the galette dough. Put the flour, sugar, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Slowly pour the water into the processor while pulsing, until the dough just comes together. Dump the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, press it into a disk and refrigerate until needed, at least 30 minutes. (Or, if you’re pressed for time, put the dough in the freezer for about 10 minutes before rolling out.)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Wipe out the food processor and add the toasted almonds. Pulse until almonds are finely ground. Add the sugar and egg yolk and pulse until just combined.
- Place the nectarines, plums and blueberries in a large bowl and toss with sugar.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, roll the dough out into a 12-13” circle. Spread the almond mixture evenly onto the dough, leaving a two-inch border uncovered around the edge.
- Arrange the fruit and any accumulated juices on top of the almond mixture, leaving a two-inch border uncovered around the edge. Fold the edges of the dough up around the fruit, pleating as you go, leaving the center of the fruit uncovered. Dot fruit with butter. Refrigerate galette for about 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until crust is golden and fruit is soft.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream
