As summer draws to a close, peaches might lose some of their juiciness and fresh bite—but this makes them perfect partners for the first wild blackberries of the season. In this rustic galette, those late summer peaches and sweet-tart blackberries nestle on a layer of ricotta cream, delicately sweetened with brown sugar, zesty orange, and a touch of fresh thyme. As the galette bakes, the ricotta turns creamy and gently soaks up the fruit’s juices, resulting in a fragrant, luscious filling.
Peach, Blackberry, Ricotta & Thyme Galette
Enjoy this galette just barely warm from the oven, paired with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour or more
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 6–8
For the pastry:
185g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ tsp fine sea salt
⅛ tsp baking powder
120g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
85g cream cheese
1–2 tbsp double cream
2 tsp cider vinegar
For the orange ricotta base:
150g ricotta
30g light brown sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (reserve the juice for the peaches)
1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
⅛ tsp fine sea salt
For the fruit:
2 ripe peaches, halved, stones removed, each half sliced into 8 wedges
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp fresh orange juice
2 tsp thyme leaves
⅛ tsp fine sea salt
100g blackberries (halve any particularly large ones)
For the glaze:
1 small egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Instructions:
To make the pastry, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor. Pulse a few times to mix and fluff up. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse until you have a crumbly texture with pea-sized pieces of butter. Next, add the cream cheese and pulse again. The mixture should look like damp, irregular crumbs. Drizzle in the vinegar and 1 tablespoon of double cream, pulsing just until it starts coming together into a dough. If it still won’t hold, add a little more cream. Gently gather the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a disk. Wrap in clingfilm, flatten slightly, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
When the dough is chilled, prepare the ricotta base by simply stirring together all the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
In a separate bowl, toss together the peach wedges, caster sugar, cornflour, orange juice, thyme leaves, and salt. Set this aside.
Preheat your oven to 210°C (190°C fan)/410°F/gas 6½. Remove the pastry from the fridge and place it on a sheet of baking paper. Roll it out into a large circle, about 36–38cm diameter and 2mm thick—no need for perfection, a rustic shape is part of the charm. Lift the pastry with its baking paper onto a large tray. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly in the centre, leaving a 4–5cm rim all the way around.
Add the blackberries to the peach mixture and gently toss. Spoon the fruit over the ricotta base, then carefully fold the border of pastry up and over the fruit, pleating as you go, but leaving the centre exposed. Brush the pastry edges with the beaten egg, sprinkle with demerara sugar, and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden.
Allow the galette to cool slightly before slicing. Serve just warm for the best flavor and texture.
