Galettes make for a simple fruity dessert, without the hassle

Galettes are sometimes touted as the lazy man’s tart, but they are a quick and easy way to pack a whole lot of fruit into a dessert, with that classic tart character. Free-form and open, galettes are simple to throw together, and make for a gorgeous impromptu dessert.

I make galettes all year round, both sweet and savoury, and they are incredibly forgiving, no pastry skill needed. It’s a good one to have up your sleeve if you don’t have a tart tin, as it is baked directly on the baking tray. It doesn’t need to be cut out to a perfect circle either, as the edges are folded over the fruit, giving it a gorgeous rustic finish.

The base is a very straightforward. If you have pastry ready-made in your fridge or freezer, your prep time is cut in half. I tend to make a batch or two of pastry dough in the stand mixer or food processor, wrap it in cling film and pop it in the fridge, if I am going to be using it that week, or in the freezer to pull out when I need one.

Making pastry really isn’t complicated, and takes about five minutes to put together. It needs to chill for about 30 minutes before rolling, but you can make this ahead and chill it for up to a few days.

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I’m using rye flour in my pastry in this recipe, it adds a wonderful nutty note and works well with the autumn fruit. This wholegrain flour varies from white to dark, depending on the degree of processing. A darker rye will give a denser texture, so opt for a light or medium one for pastry.

The choice of fruit is up to you. I love making this with rhubarb in the spring, and peaches or apricots in summer.This week I’m using a mix of apples, plums and blackberries. The fruit is tossed with a mix of cornflour, a little sugar and a splash of lemon juice, before arranging on the galette. The cornflour binds the fruit slightly when baked, so that each slice holds its shape when cut, and the sugar and lemon bring out the flavours of the fruit.

I like to scatter a few flaked almonds on top of the pastry before baking, it not only looks beautiful but adds a gorgeous nutty crunch to each slice.

Serve the galette warm or cold. It will keep for two days or so, after that the pastry will start to soften under the fruit.

Recipe: Autumn fruit rye galette