Easy Peach Galette

Pie crust (makes enough for 1 galette)

1. Slice the chilled butter into small pieces (each stick of butter into 16 pieces). Freeze this butter on a plate for about 10 - 15 minutes.
2. Next, make sure the liquid and the flour are all chilled as well.
3. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor or bowl. Pulse or whisk to mix the ingredients.
4. Add the chilled unsalted butter and toss to coat. Use your fingers to press into the butter and flatten them. Toss the butter pieces to coat, and gently rub the flour and butter mixture together until you have have chickpea-sized / hazelnut-sized butter pieces in with the flour. If using a food processor, pulse a few times to achieve the same result.
5. Next, add the apple cider vinegar and use your fingers or a fork to stir to mix the liquid into the flour. With a food processor, pulse just 2 - 3 times to mix in the vinegar.
6. Add the rest of the liquid (water and vodka - if using) to the flour mixture. Start with half, and stir or toss the mixture to let the liquid mix in. Add the rest in small amounts until you can see the pie dough forming larger clumps. If using a food processor - pulse a few times while adding the liquid and check in between to make sure you're not adding too much liquid.
7. The pie crust has enough water when you take a portion of the dough and squeeze it in your hand and it forms a cohesive dough with some dry spots. If needed, add extra chilled water (1 tbsp at a time), to get the right consistency. If the dough is too wet, then add a little extra flour.
8. Turn the dough clumps onto a parchment paper or work surface. Use the parchment paper to fold the dough over itself to bring it together. You can also use your hands, but make sure to not overwork the dough. The flour and butter mixture should form into a dough disc, with some cracks and dry spots still visible.
9. Form the dough into a disc shape and wrap it with plastic wrap or use the same parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
10. When you’re ready to make the galette, remove the crust from the fridge and let it soften for a bit (about 10 - 20 minutes). The dough will be easier to roll out when it's still cold but malleable.

Peach filling

1. While the pie crust is chilling in the fridge, make the peach filling.
2. Cut each peach in half and twist to remove the pit from one half. Then, cut the other half into quarters to make it easier to remove the pit (see pictures in the post). Alternatively, use a melon baller to carefully remove the pit.
3. Slice each peach portion into ¼ inch thick slices or ¼ inch thick wedges. Place these in a large bowl.
4. Reserve about 1 - 2 tbsp of the sugar in a small bowl. Add the Instant ClearJel (or cornstarch) to the rest of the sugar and whisk to mix these two ingredients together. This is especially important if you're using Instant ClearJel.
5. Add the starch and sugar mixture to the peaches. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, and salt (if using), along with the herbs (optional). Very gently toss to mix with the peaches. Set it aside in the fridge, until you have the crust ready.

Egg wash

1. Make the egg wash while the galette is chilling in the fridge and the oven is preheating. Mix the egg yolk and milk together and set aside.

Galette assembly

1. Preheat a conventional oven to 400°F / 205°C. Place a baking tray in the lower third of your oven, so that it can preheat as well.
2. Dust your work surface with flour, and place the cold (but malleable) pie dough on it. Dust the top of the pie disc with a little flour as well. Roll out the pie disc until you have a rough round-shaped disc that's about 14 inches in diameter.
3. Use your hands to smooth out the edges of the pie crust so that it's not as jagged, and has a fairly smooth edge. Alternatively, you can trim the jagged edges.
4. If the pie crust softens too much at any stage, or starts to shrink, return the dough to the fridge to let it chill and rest.
5. Place the rolled out pie crust on a parchment paper. OPTIONAL - sprinkle a light coating of semolina flour on top of the parchment paper before placing the rolled out dough. This will help to create a crunchy crust. You can also sprinkle some semolina on top of the dough as well. This can act as a barrier between the pie crust and filling.
6. Starting from the middle of the crust, place the peach slices / wedges on top of the pie dough, leaving a 2 inch border from the edge of the pie crust. You have the option of placing the peaches however you like, in a rustic way, OR to make a pattern with the peaches (see pictures in the post for reference). See recipe notes below for two more options (peach wedges or slices).
7. Scrape any sugar and juices from the filling onto the peaches. Sprinkle the sugar that you set aside at the start (1 - 2 tbsp) over the peach slices / wedges.
8. Next, fold the pie crust OVER the edge of the peach filling. To have a neater galette, make angled cuts on the crust where it folds (see post for more detail). This prevents the crust from being too thick where it folds over. Use water or the egg wash to stick the crust together and seal it properly at the folds. This will help prevent the crust from unfolding while it bakes, and to keep the filling inside without leaking out.
9. Repeat the process along the entire border of the galette so that the edge of the peach filling is enclosed in the pie crust. See pictures in the post for reference.
10. Place the galette (along with the parchment paper) on a different plate or tray, and transfer it to the fridge. Refrigerate the galette for about 15 - 20 minutes until it firms up.
11. The oven should have been preheated for at least 30 minutes by this point, with the baking tray inside the oven.
12. Remove the galette from the fridge and generously brush the top of the pie dough with the egg wash. Dot the butter over the surface of the peach filling. OPTIONAL - sprinkle some raw sugar and semolina over the pie crust.
13. Carefully remove the preheated baking tray from the oven and place the galette with the parchment paper on top of the preheated baking tray. Then return this to the lower third of the oven.
14. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 375°F / 191°C.
15. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 - 50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is nice and bubbly. Remove the galette from the oven and let it slightly cool down for a few minutes on the hot baking tray.
16. Once the galette has slightly cooled down, carefully remove it with the parchment paper (support the bottom of the galette) and place it on a baking rack to cool. This will help prevent the bottom from getting soggy as well.
17. Serve the galette warm, or at room temperature, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.