Cherry Galette

Often the simplest recipes turn out to be the best, and the cherry galette is most assuredly one of them. Fuss-free and easy, it has the perfect ratio of sweet, jammy filling to buttery, rich crust. Folded into the juicy nest is thyme, whose earthy yet sharp, sweet yet peppery essence intensifies the flavor further.

It’s why I never tire of making galettes. Very rustic, they are not about picture-perfect aesthetics (though to my eye, they are gorgeous). You mix, roll, fill, bake, and voila, you have an ode to intensely flavored juicy filling. 

It’s that simple. They really are a lazy person’s pie – you don’t need some magical sleight-of-hand to create beautiful lattices. Yet, the result is nothing short of glorious. Every time. 

How to make a cherry galette?

Pies and tarts filled with seasonal fruits are my favorite dessert. That’s why I make a lot of galettes, yet I’ve never used cherries. So, I decided to put the last of my seasonal cherry haul in it, and I am chuffed I did so. 

• Start by combining all-purpose flour, sugar, and polenta (cornmeal). 
• Polenta is entirely optional but highly recommended because it lends the pastry texture.
• I also added fresh thyme, of which I had a packet in the fridge and have been using everywhere. 
• Next, cut in chilled butter into the mixture with your fingertips till it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. 
• Bring together the pastry with your hands by adding a tablespoon of ice-cold water at a time. You won’t need too much water. The pastry dough clumps together in a ball relatively fast. 
• If you feel the dough is too dry, carefully increase the amount of liquid. You don’t have to knead the dough. That would just melt the butter and form a shortcrust pastry– not what you want. 

Make the galette filling

• Flatten the pastry dough a bit, wrap it in cling film and then refrigerate. The length of time will differ based on how hot it is where you are. You want the dough to be firm but not hard. Mine took about an hour. 
• You can freeze the dough for up to a month. So, go ahead, double the recipe, and set aside a portion for later. Make sure to double wrap it in cling film and foil. 
• While the dough chills, macerate pitted and halved cherries in sugar and thyme till they release their juice (about 20 minutes).

Baking the cherry galette

• Dust your work surface with flour, and then roll the pastry into a 10-inch circle. The pictures are a testament that my circle was not neat, but then galettes are forgiving. It doesn’t matter if it’s a square, rectangle, or oval. 

• Place the pastry on a parchment-lined tray and sprinkle some polenta on it. It prevents the cherry juices from soaking into the pastry, saving you from a soggy-bottom pie. 
• Pile the cherries in the center, making sure to leave 2 inches of edge all around. 

• Fold the edge over the fruit and brush it with milk, cream, or egg wash. This imparts a deeper golden color and sheen to the pastry. 

• Bake till the crust is golden-brown, and the juices are bubbling. For my cherry galette, it took 30 to 40 minutes. If your oven runs hotter, it might take less. 

Variations of galette recipe

Polenta: As I said, it is optional. You can leave it out but then why eat a soggy pie? You’ll hardly taste the polenta because we’re using such a tiny amount of it. All you get is a bit of a crunch in the crust. In case you don’t have it on hand, substitute it with almond meal. 

Thyme: The herb adds a freshness, with the cherries acting as a wonderful canvas for it, making the galette more aromatic. Fresh rosemary is another option. Although I would advise not to add in any dried herbs. 

Sugar: The amount of sugar you will need depends upon how sweet your cherries are. Please do a taste test before you bake. As usual, I relied on raw sugar, but regular sugar, cane sugar, or palm sugar will work like a charm.

Vegan galette: Replace the butter with chilled coconut oil or plant-based butter as I did for my vegan lavender peach galette.

Gluten-free galette: You have quite a few options here. Either use buckwheat flour as I did for my chai spiced plum galette. Or use any gluten-free mixes from your favorite brand. I did the same with my strawberry apple galette.

Fruits: Plums, apples, peaches, galettes can be baked with any fruit you love. Or you can make a savory galette like a sweet potato carrot galette.

Serving the cherry galette

Hot, warm or cold – serve the galette any which way, and it will still be downright delicious. The open-face design encourages evaporation during baking, which concentrates the flavors to a thing of beauty. 

I served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, something we’ve been living on to survive these melting temperatures. But plain Greek yogurt or whipped cream would pair excellently with the flaky, crispy crust and the firm, juicy fruit of the cherry galette. 

If you make this scrumptious galette, please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love getting to connect with you guys. You can also follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for more fabulous recipes.