The best cherry galette with flaky crust

This cherry galette made with in-season cherries and the easiest flaky pastry is so delicious, it will go straight into the top recipes I’ve made this year. It’s a dessert that is spectacular because of the ingredients, and is there any better fruit in the world than a ripe cherry? Well perhaps only if it’s picked directly off the tree.

Picking cherries is exactly what I did two Sundays ago at an event hosted by Cherry Time to launch the cherry season. It was a lovely experience to visit the farm near Worcester to learn about how cherries are grown and to enjoy a picnic in the orchard.

Cherries are my favourite fruit and the season is short so now is the time to jump in. Cherry Time is having a bumper harvest and boxes can be ordered directly from their site and delivered to your door in selected areas in Cape Town and the surrounds.

I adore cherries in desserts but because of their scarcity, I have rarely used them fresh. It really makes a world of difference too. De-pipping 3 cups of fruit is a slight labour of love but with a metal de-pipper, it all went quite quickly. This is the kind of task you can get the family involved with.

This recipe can be used with any fruit of your choice in these ratios. If you are using berries, they have more pectin so require less corn starch (2 Tbsp). Adjust your sugar levels to the sweetness of the fruit and your taste preference. If you don’t have time to make the pastry, use store-bought instead.

A few other fruit pies and galettes you might like:

Easy plum tarte tatin

Apple galettes with salted caramel

Easy plum and frangipane galette (made with puff pastry)

Nectarine, blueberry & bourbon pie

Or for the easiest cake, try my perfect easy apricot torte.

What is a galette?

A galette is a type of French pastry that is similar to a flat, freeform tart. Galettes are typically made with a buttery, flaky crust that is folded over a filling of fresh fruit, jam, or other sweet or savoury ingredients. Many different types of fruit can be used to make a galette, but some of the most popular options include:

1. Apples
2. Pears
3. Peaches
4. Berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries)
5. Plums
6. Cherries
7. Apricots

When making a fruit galette, it’s important to choose fruits that are in season and that are ripe but not overly soft. This will ensure that the filling is flavorful and that the galette holds its shape during baking.

You can replace the quantity of cherries used in this recipe with any of the fruits above, just adjust the sugar and lemon accordingly. 

*Cooks notes – This galette is not overly sweet because the cherries are perfectly ripe, and I wanted the fruit to shine through more than the sugar. If they are tart or sour, then add ½ – ¾ cup.

This recipe makes one galette that will feed 6 – 8 people

The best cherry galette

This is a very delicious cherry galette made with fresh cherries and an easy sour cream flaky pastry.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:40 minutes mins

Cook Time:45 minutes mins

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 160 gms flour
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp caster sugar or granulated
• 115 gms cold butter cut into small cubes
• ¼ cup full-fat sour cream

Filling:

• 3 slightly heaped cups of fresh cherries pips removed
• 3 Tbsp cornflour starch
• 1/3 cup sugar plus 2 Tbsp
• Pinch of salt
• Finely grated zest and juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Beaten egg to brush the pastry + an extra sprinkle of sugar
•  

Instructions

• Make the dough in advance. I did it the night before. It needs at least 2 hours to rest in the fridge.
• Whisk the flour, salt and sugar together in a bowl until well combined. Take the butter out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly (if it is very hard).
• Using your fingers lightly work the butter into the dry ingredients until it's starting to clump together. Add the sour cream and mix until you have a dough. If it is too wet, add a sprinkle of flour and if it’s too dry, add a dash more sour cream.
• Bring the dough together on lightly floured surfaces making sure you don’t overwork it. Flatten it with your hands to make a disc about 2cm thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
• To make the filling, place all the ingredients (except the egg) into a bowl and stir to coat.
• When you are ready to make the galette, take the dough out of the fridge and place it on a surface that has been lightly dusted with flour.
• Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F
• When the dough has softened a little roll it out evenly into a large circle about 30cm in diameter. Gentle lift this over your rolling pin and place it on a large baking sheet lined with baking paper.
• Pile the fruit in the middle of the galette so that it has a wide rim and mound it up. Fold the edges into the middle and overlap the dough where necessary, this does not have to be perfect. Brush the edges with egg was and lightly sprinkle sugar over this.
• Bake for 40 – 45 minutes and until golden brown and the fruit bubbling. Loosely cover the galette with foil from about 10 minutes into the baking time to prevent over-browning.
• Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream

Notes

Pit the cherries in advance to save time.

Once baked, store the galette in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Servings: 6

Author: Sam Linsell

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