Binge watching a television series is a very time-consuming habit. Luckily, it’s not too often I find a TV show I enjoy enough to obsessively watch. Surprisingly, my discovery of The Great British Bake Off on Netflix really took a hold on me. While not a new show, I had never heard of nor seen it before. In a large tent, the bakers compete to create the best-baked masterpieces or face elimination. All the contestants are amateur home bakers. However, the creations they bake are truly inspiring to anyone cooking at home. Their dedication and ability to come up with stunning baked goods is shocking. Sometimes they fail spectacularly, but that just makes it even more endearing for what they accomplish.
Although I have always enjoyed baking, I never imagined attempting anything very ambitious in the oven. And I still haven’t moved beyond the basics. But, baking is fun, and creating beautiful bakes is very satisfying. I’ve chosen the crostata, or galette, as my baking adventure because it is rustically adorable and can be stuffed full of seasonal fruit. It is also very forgiving to make and emerges from a hot oven looking like it was baked with love.
In late summer, stone fruit is spilling off the market produce stacks. Peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, cherries…are all abundant but will soon disappear for another year. They’re perfect for this rustic galette. Even if the fruit is not quite ripe, roasting in the oven will bring out its sweet flavors. Peaches are traditionally peeled when used in pies. However, I left the skin on mine and didn’t mind the texture. But if you don’t like the extra chew of peach skin in your pie, peel the peaches. Pluots are a lovely cross between a plum and an apricot and have very delicate skin which does not need peeling. You can substitute plums or a different summer fruit if you don’t have pluots.
Like most pies, this stone fruit galette is sturdy enough to easily transport. And no food processor or electric blender is required to make the pie. The galette can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free flour. So, bake one and take it to your next gathering. Or bake two—one to eat at home and one to share with friends and loved ones.
YIELDS
4-6 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- For Crust
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 4 tablespoons vegan shortening
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter (very cold)
- 5 tablespoons ice water
- 2 tablespoons plant milk (to brush on crust)
- 2-3 tablespoons raw turbinado sugar (to sprinkle on crust)
- For Fruit Filling
- 2 yellow peaches, sliced
- 3 pluots, sliced
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 zest of lemon
- 1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions
1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. Add shortening and cold vegan butter.* Cut together using a pastry blender or two knives. Mixture should be course with small pea size pieces of butter.**
3. Add 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time to the mixture. After the addition of the fourth tablespoon of water, dough will have a dry texture but should just hold together in a crumbly ball. If it will not hold its shape, add 1 more tablespoon of ice water. Shape into a disc, wrap in a clean towel, and put in a covered container. Refrigerate 1 hour.
4. While dough is in refrigerator, make fruit filling. Wash and slice fruit. In a mixing bowl, gently mix fruit with lemon zest, sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
5. When dough has refrigerated for 1 hour, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
6. Flour rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll pie dough out to a circular shape, about 1/8 inch thickness. The galette should look rustic so the dough circle does not need to be perfectly round.
7. Transfer rolled out dough to baking sheet. Fill center with fruit filling, leaving a 2-inch border from edge. Fold edges of dough in and roughly crimp.
8. To help crust brown properly in oven, brush dough with plant milk. Sprinkle generously with raw turbinado sugar.
9. Place on center rack in oven and bake 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden and fruit filling is bubbling.
10. Cool before serving. Top with nondairy ice cream or yogurt.
*I used Nutiva shortening and Miyoko's cultured vegan butter.
**The key to a short flakey crust is maintaining many small pieces of butter and shortening in the dough. To achieve this, once you add the cold butter, mix and form your dough disc quickly to prevent the butter from melting.
