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.
Itโs 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.
Itโs that simple. They really are a lazy personโs pie โ you donโt 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. Thatโs why I make a lot of galettes, yet Iโve 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 wonโt 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 donโt have to knead the dough. That would just melt the butter and form a shortcrust pastryโ 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 doesnโt matter if itโs 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? Youโll hardly taste the polenta because weโre using such a tiny amount of it. All you get is a bit of a crunch in the crust. In case you donโt 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.
Gluten-free galette: You have quite a few options here. Either use buckwheat flour or use any gluten-free mixes from your favorite brand.
Fruits: Plums, apples, peaches, galettes can be baked with any fruit you love.
Serving the cherry galette
Hot, warm or cold โ 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 weโve 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.
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others.ย Thatโsย whyย Iโmย always eager to hear from you.ย So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out onย Instagram,ย Pinterest,ย YouTube, orย Facebook. I hope you love this cherry galette as much as we do!
๐ Recipe
Cherry Galette
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup All- purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Polenta ( cornmeal)
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup Butter, chilled and cubed I used salted butter
- 4-5 tbsp Ice cold water
Filling
- 8 oz Cherries, pitted and cut in half
- 3-4 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp Polenta You can use semolina ( sooji ) or almond meal instead
- 2 tsp Milk for brushing the pastry
Instructions
- Combine the flour, polenta, thyme and sugar in a large bowl.
- Rub the cold butter in the mixture, using your fingertips.
- When it resembles large, coarse breadcrumbs,ย add in theย ice cold water, a tablespoon at a time.
- Bring the dough together using your hands. Add extra tablespoon or two of water to bind the dough, if needed.
- This will be clumpy mixture. Bring it together in a disc. Flatten it a bit. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Preheat your oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Filling
- Toss together the cherries, thyme, and sugar. Let this sit for 10 minutes.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough into a 10" circle.
- Sprinkle the polenta on the rolled out dough, leaving a 2" border around.
- Arrange the cherries on top of the polenta. Fold the edges of the dough over the fruit to partially cover them.
- Brush the crust with a bit of milk and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling.
- Let it rest for at least 15 mins. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
sarah michelle says
This was so good, love the crust recipe. Thanks!
Natasha Minocha says
Thanks so much, Sarah! xx
Joey says
Made this today, turned out amazing! Going to try with blueberries over the weekend too since we've just got a bunch!
Natasha Minocha says
Yay I am so glad to hear that, Joey! Blueberries would be soo good, do tell me how that goes ๐