Summer

White Peach and Lemon Thyme Galette

by:
August 25, 2011
4
4 Ratings
White Peach and Lemon Thyme Galette
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

I'm the person who generally crinkles her nose in skepticism when it comes to rosemary or basil on a dessert menu. But a couple of years ago, while at the market shopping for peaches I needed for a summer fruit bake-off at work, I stopped and inhaled a breath of lemon thyme, and something in my baker brain clicked. This tart is a simple, light, summery dessert that's best served warm. —vvvanessa

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: vvvanessa is a recreational baker in Berkeley, CA who is constantly inspired by new ingredients.
WHAT: A fragrant summer tart that's sure to be the centerpiece of your next dinner party.
HOW: Toss peaches with honey and lemon thyme, wrap in a flaky dough, and serve with a dollop of honeyed crème fraîche.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Finally, a dessert that incorporates fresh herbs without making us feel like we're eating a bar of soap. Instead of overpowering the galette, the thyme amplifies the sweet honey and the tart peaches. And it certainly doesn't hurt that the filling comes enveloped in a wonderfully buttery crust. We'll have seconds, please. —A&M

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 10 to 15 sprigs of fresh lemon thyme, or regular thyme if you can't find it
  • 3 to 4 large white peaches, each peeled and sliced into wedges
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 15 mimutes, plus an additional 2 teaspoons
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 10 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup ice water
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon milk or water
  • 1 cup crème fraîche
Directions
  1. In a small saucepan, bring the honey and thyme just to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
  2. Gently toss the peaches with 2 teaspoons of the flour to coat thoroughly, then toss them with 2 tablepoons of the honey. Set the peaches aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the cold flour, sugar, and salt together. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or forks until the mixture looks like slightly chunky wet sand.
  4. Using a fork, stir in 5 tablespoons of water to bring the dough together. You might need to add in another 2 or 3 tablespoons of water, but be careful not to add too much; the dough will leave some unincorporated crumbs at the bottom of the bowl, and the dough itself should not feel at all wet.
  5. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and briefly work the dough by hand to mix the crumbs into the dough. The dough should not look smooth and completely homogeneous; you want to see discernible bits of butter.
  6. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  7. Preheat the oven to 400º F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a circle roughly 14 to 16 inches across and transfer it to the center of a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Pile the peaches in the center of dough so that there is about a 2-inch border of dough surrounding the fruit. You can stack the fruit quite high if you like.
  8. With lightly floured fingertips, create the galette by bringing up the edges of the dough up and over the edge of the fruit. Overlap the folds and gently pinch them together; continue working around the fruit until there you've formed a lightly mounded volcano of dough with the fruit visible in the mouth of it.
  9. Lightly whisk the egg yolk with the milk or water, and brush it over the dough. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the dough is golden and the fruit begins to soften a bit. Remove from the oven and allow to cool until it's just warm.
  10. Mix 2 tablespoons of the thyme-infused honey with the crème fraîche. Serve a warm slice of the galette with a generous dollop of the crème fraîche.
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61 Reviews

cosmiccook
cosmiccook June 16, 2017
I LOVE lemon Thyme--always have at least two growing in my garden! I think I would add LT and lemon zest to the dough as well. What about subbing some of the water w peach liqueur or a complimentary flavor such as almond?
 
kim
kim August 6, 2015
Just wanted to address the lemon-thyme honey issue regarding its loss of benefits with cooking. Why not just infuse over several days like you would an herb vinegar? I think it sounds phenomenal and would keep its integrity intact, just start a day or so ahead or make batches of infused honey when your herbs are at their peak! Thanks for sharing!
 
nannydeb
nannydeb July 17, 2015
Would regular thyme be too much for this recipe? Maybe with a touch of lemon zest?
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 18, 2015
Hi, nannydeb! I would go ahead and use regular thyme; if it's the dark, dense, drier kind, I would use fewer stems, but if it's the really light, leafy kind, I would use a little more. A little lemon zest sounds like it would be a nice addition! I hope it works out!
 
brhun
brhun July 28, 2013
http://food52.com/recipes/19559-perfect-vegan-pie-crust
I found the answer to my question about lactose free crust. See the above recipe.
 
brhun
brhun July 28, 2013
How much coconut oil in place of butter should I use? I'm lactose intolerant, and don't use butter.
 
Loren J.
Loren J. July 28, 2013
do you have a vegan option for this recipe?
 
Cheryl E.
Cheryl E. July 28, 2013
sub shortening in the recipe for butter and sub whatever else you do for the egg yolk and milk....
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 30, 2013
I gave some vegan options a few threads down.
 
pamela J.
pamela J. July 28, 2013
This tempts me. But time and again I am seduced by the perfume of white peaches, only to be disappointed when I cook them. I've tried them in muffins, pancakes, pies, and tarts, alone and in combination with berries, and, after cooking, they, to me at least, seem flavorless. Anyone else find this to be true?
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 30, 2013
I find that the lemon thyme and honey really work with the peaches in this recipe, though it is certainly different from eating a peach fresh and raw!
 
Baguette &.
Baguette &. September 9, 2023
Hmmm. My young peach tree is bent over with fruit so I’ve been removing young unripe peaches and simmering them in a simple syrup. The flavor is amazing. Texture could be a bit better, but everyone who’s tried them has been really surprised by how good and peachy they are. The syrup is also very good.
 
Violetsnake
Violetsnake July 28, 2013
We really enjoy many of the recipes on a regular basis. What we have noticed in another recipe that calls for honey (Watermelon Mint Cider Vinegar Tonic), that you say to boil it with the other liquid ingredients. As beekeepers of over 35 years, honey should never be boiled because high heat destroys the natural healing properties of honey. One may as well use corn syrup or sugar and water, or you could let the boiled liquid cool to warm before adding the honey.
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 30, 2013
If boiling the honey destroys the natural healing properties of honey, would baking it at a high temperature do that anyway? I use honey medicinally (for allergies and skin issues), and I didn't know about the boiling issue, so thanks for that information. Though I definitely can't claim that I chose honey for this recipe for its medicinal value!
 
EM-MV
EM-MV September 23, 2014
I'm realizing that honey is like miso: not to be boiled. But I wanted to point out that the Watermelon Tonic recipe you mentioned, which I make all the time, only calls for bringing water to a boil to dilute the honey. No reason at all that you couldn't use just hot water, not boiling water, let alone actually bring the honey to a boil. Next time I make the tonic I will be sure to not use overly hot water.
 
simplysandi
simplysandi July 28, 2013
I think galettes are so pretty and rustic. I have yet to make one- adding this to my list
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 30, 2013
Galettes are really quite easy, and "rustic" gives you lots of room to make it imperfectly perfect. I hope you try it soon!
 
Kukla
Kukla July 24, 2013
Many congratulations on your well-deserved win vvvanessa!!!
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 30, 2013
Thank you so much, Kukla!
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy July 24, 2013
What a wonderful flavor combo! Congrats!
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 30, 2013
Thanks, QueenSashy!
 
HungryLarder
HungryLarder July 24, 2013
This looks delicious. Congratulations! Need to find some fresh peaches now.
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 30, 2013
Thank you!
 
basileorri
basileorri July 24, 2013
From one baker Vanessa to another........Congrats!! This is something that I need to make... stat!
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 30, 2013
Thanks! Go, Vanessa-bakers!
 
ChefJune
ChefJune July 24, 2013
Congrats on the win. This is a stunning recipe. Will be making it soon.
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 30, 2013
Thank you, ChefJune! I hope you enjoy it.
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour July 24, 2013
Congratulations, vvv! This is a gorgeous recipe, and a well-deserved win!!
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 30, 2013
Thank you, my most formidable competitor!
 
Bevi
Bevi July 22, 2013
I made this last night, VVV, and it was spectacular!
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 22, 2013
Thanks, Bevi! I'm really glad it worked well for you!
 
fiveandspice
fiveandspice July 19, 2013
Congratulations vvvanessa! This is a stunner. I know what to do the next time I pick up white peaches!
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 22, 2013
Thank you, fiveandspice. My big problem is not eating all the peaches before they make it into the galette.
 
Waverly
Waverly July 19, 2013
Congratulations! This sounds lovely - I can't wait to try it.
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 22, 2013
Thank you, Waverly!
 
gingerroot
gingerroot July 19, 2013
Congrats, vvvanessa! What a beauty of a summer tart. Looking forward to trying it!
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 22, 2013
Thanks, gingerroot. I hope you like it!
 
marialissio
marialissio July 19, 2013
I am captivated by this. As an inexperienced baker now vegan, imagine the new me in total conflict about this gorgeous galette. Well I have three children and a husband who refuse to travel to the dark side. They would love this. I do still cook for them with great love. They are probably burning candles at our local church right now praying that a recipe like this will woo me back. I am thinking ... thinking ... thinking. Well done. It looks sensational.
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa July 22, 2013
Thank you for the nice compliments! I once made the crust with near-frozen Earth Balance once, and it works okay, though the pastry will be a little denser and not so flaky, but it was still tasty! You can substitute in shortening if Earth Balance doesn't appeal. As for the honey, maybe you could try brown rice syrup? Or maybe even just make a simple syrup from equal parts sugar and water heated until the sugar dissolves, though I would probably mix in less of the syrup with the peaches. You can leave out the egg yolk and just brush the crust with soy/rice/nut milk. And instead of crème fraîche, you could use vegan ice cream.

Or you could just pretend you're not vegan for a day!