Looking for a summery and no-fuss strawberry dessert? Try this strawberry galette made with juicy ripe strawberries enhanced with strawberry preserves, sugar and lemon. The free form crust couldn’t be easier as it comes together in the food processor and then just gets folded up around the strawberries. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect summer dessert.
So I’m not a huge fan of strawberry pie. I think it’s the ratio of strawberries to crust maybe? Too many strawberries and not enough crust. My husband’s yearly request for his birthday, however, is strawberry pie. Of course. Every year I try to come up with a different way of giving him the flavor of strawberry pie with a new spin. Last year I made this delicious frozen strawberry cheesecake that I highly recommend checking out!
This year, I decided to trial a galette and a strawberry mousse pie to see what he liked better. I haven’t gotten to the mousse pie yet, but he said this galette was a winner. So if I get lazy and forgo the mousse pie, I can either blame it on being 35 weeks pregnant or that the first one was a winner from the start.
What is a galette?
The word galette hails from France. It can refer to any round shaped pastry but most often refers to a free form rustic tart. Italians have a name for this as well and call it a crostata.
Galettes are less work than a pie as you don’t have to have a perfectly shaped round pie dough with beautiful fluted or decorative edges. Instead, you simply roll out the dough into a rough circle, pile the fruit in the middle and then just fold the dough up around the fruit to create a beautiful and rustic look. No fluting edges, no trimming the pie dough and no fussing with a top crust.
How to make the pie dough
First you will need to make the pie dough. Now, I’m not going to judge if you go the store bought route. I’ve done it many times and you can definitely take that shortcut here and make this even quicker. If you do use a store bought crust, roll it out into a larger circle than it comes, close to a 14 inch diameter if possible as you will need to fold the edges of the dough around the filling.
To proceed with homemade pie dough, break out that food processor or if you don’t have one, use your hands, forks or a pastry cutter to work in the butter. Flour, sugar and salt get combined in the processor first and give it a quick pulse to combine. Then you will add cubed very cold butter and pulse a few more times until the butter looks about the size of peas throughout the flour.
Next, start by adding 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water and pulse to see if the dough starts to come together into a ball. If the dough is still too dry, add more water by the tablespoon just until it starts coming together. You don’t want to pulse it into a complete ball as you will mix in the butter too much. So just pulse it until a ball starts to form and then stop.
Dump the dough mixture onto a lightly floured surface and bring it into a complete ball using your hands to mold it together. Form it into a disc and wrap the disc in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes while you make the filling. If you end up losing track of time and refrigerating it longer, you may need to let it sit out for about 10 minutes to soften slightly before rolling it out.
How to make the filling
The strawberry filling is super simple and there is no cooking involved! Hull and slice the strawberries into about 1 inch pieces. Then simply combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, preserves and vanilla in a large bowl and mix to combine. The addition of the strawberry preserves just adds more concentrated strawberry flavor and makes the filling a bit more jammy. It is delicious!
How to assemble the galette
Once the dough has chilled for 30 minutes, remove it from the fridge and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin coated with a little flour, roll the dough into a roughly 14 inch diameter. It doesn’t need to be perfect and jagged edges are completely fine here! The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.
Use the rolling pin to wrap the dough around it and transfer the circle of dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. You definitely want to line the baking sheet with parchment as the strawberries will leak some while baking and it is so much easier to clean when you can just pull the parchment off the baking sheet!
Pour the strawberries into the center of the pie dough, mounding them up slightly so that there is a 2-inch edge of uncovered dough. Start folding the dough up around the strawberries, creasing it every couple of inches to form a circle.
What is the purpose of an egg wash?
I highly recommend finishing the galette with an egg wash on the edges. An egg wash helps to brown the edges of the pastry giving it that perfectly golden finish. It will also help coarse sugar adhere to the dough.
Crack one egg into a small bowl and add about a teaspoon of water. Beat the egg until mixed well. Using a pastry brush or even your fingers if you don’t have one, brush the edges of the folded dough lightly with the egg wash. Sprinkle either coarse sugar (like sugar in the raw) or sanding sugar over the egg wash. This gives a nice crunch to the exterior of the dough.
That’s it! You are now ready to bake this beauty. Bake it at 375 degrees until golden brown on the edges, about 35 to 40 minutes. Again, don’t worry that some of the strawberry juices leak out as this is completely normal and won’t affect the galette. Let the galette cool on the baking sheet at least 15 minutes before serving. It can be served either warm or at room temperature. I highly recommend serving the strawberry galette with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
How to store leftovers
If you happen to have leftovers, simply cover the galette tightly with foil and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Any longer than this and the galette will get soggy. I found it was best warmed up in the microwave for about 20 seconds if it has been refrigerated.
Enjoy this perfect strawberry galette!
For other strawberry recipes, check out:
- Strawberry Scones
- Strawberry Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake with a Pretzel Crust
Tag me on Instagram @TaraKringlen if you make this and leave a review and comment below! Thanks and enjoy!
Strawberry Galette
Ingredients
Pie Dough
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter cold and cut into small pieces
- 3-5 tbsp ice cold water
Filling
- 4 cups strawberries about 1 ¼ quarts, hulled and sliced
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp strawberry preserves
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg and coarse sugar (sugar in the raw, sanding sugar) optional
- Ice cream for serving optional (but not really)
Instructions
Pie Dough
- In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the crumbs are about the size of a pea. With the processor running, add 3 tbsp ice cold water and process until the dough starts to come together into a ball. Add an additional tablespoons of water, one at a time, if the dough isn't coming together.
- Dump the dough onto a floured surface and using your hands, bring together into a disc. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
Filling and Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, strawberry preserves, vanilla, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Mix gently to combine.
- Roll out the dough onto a floured surface to a circle about 1/4 inch thick and 14 inches in diameter. Place the crust onto the baking sheet.
- Pour the filling onto the crust, leaving about 2 inches at the edge. Fold the edge of the crust up over the strawberries all the way around the galette, pleating the dough as necessary to form a circle.
- Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the egg wash.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. The galette will leak some during cooking. Allow to cool about 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- See the post for pictures on folding the edges of the dough.
- The galette can be kept refrigerated, tightly covered with foil, for 2-3 days. It’s best warmed up in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds if refrigerated.
- The galette is best served slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
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