How to Cook a Perfect Peach

Just made the peach galette from the Masamoto family’s wonderful book, The Perfect Peach.  I reduced the sugar in their recipe, and while I have to admit that my galette doesn’t look nearly as good as the one their jacket, it smells fantastic and was great fun to make. Can’t wait to serve it for dinner tonight. 

Peach Galette (adapted from The Perfect Peach, which was just published by Ten Speed Press) 

For the pastry

1 cup unbleached flour

1 tablespoon sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup cold butter

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons milk

1 tablespoon cream

sugar for sprinkling

For the filling 

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

pinch of cinnamon

5 or 6 ripe peaches

squeeze of lemon juice

Make the dough by blending the dry ingredients and cutting in the butter.  Then whisk the milk into the egg and mix into the butter and flour mixture.  Form into a ball, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for a couple of hours. 

Allow to warm for about 10 minutes, then roll into an 11 inch circle, place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put in the refrigerator to chill while you preheat the oven to 375 and prepare the peaches.

Peel the peaches and slice into 1/4 inch wedges. Toss them with the flour and sugar, squeeze in a bit of lemon juice.

Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. Leaving 1 1/2 inches on the outside, cover with the peach slices, arranging in a spiraling circle.  Pleat the outer edges of the dough over the peaches and brush the dough with the cream. Sprinkle sugar over the cream and bake on the lowest shelf of the oven for about 50 minutes, until the crust is golden.

Cool on a rack.