Cherry Galette

A cherry galette is a rustic French pastry made with a free-form, buttery crust folded around fresh or macerated cherries. The recipe often includes sugar, lemon juice, and a touch of cornstarch or almond flour to absorb juices, reflecting the seasonal, countryside baking traditions of rural France.

The dough is rolled into a rough circle, cherries arranged in the center, and edges folded partially over the fruit. Baked at high heat, the crust becomes crisp and golden while the cherries soften and release syrup. This open-faced style emphasizes natural fruit flavors and the simplicity of provincial French technique.

DessertFruit

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Total Time: 35 min

Yield: 8 servings

A cherry galette on a baking rack.

Ingredients

  • 1 pre-rolled pie crust
  • 4 cups (14 oz.) fresh cherries, pitted and halved
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp corn starch
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. butter, cubed
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • coarse sugar to sprinkle

Instructions

  1. 1.
    Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. 2.
    Line an edged baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. 3.
    Unroll the pie crust onto the parchment paper.
  4. 4.
    In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, corn starch, and salt.
  5. 5.
    Prepare cherries by removing the pits and slicing each cherry in half and adding them to a large bowl.
  6. 6.
    Add the lemon juice to the cherries.
  7. 7.
    Cover the cherries the the dry mixture and toss to coat the fruit.
  8. 8.
    Arrange the cherries around the center of the pie crust, leaving about 1½ inches around the outside edge.
  9. 9.
    Fold the outside of the crust over in 8 sections to cover the edges of the fruit and pinch together any cracks.
  10. 10.
    Brush the exposed top of the crust with the beaten egg wash and sprinkle the crust with coarse sugar.
  11. 11.
    Sprinkle small pieces of butter on the top of the fruit.
  12. 12.
    Place the baking sheet in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
  13. 13.
    Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes to cool.