Happy Independence Day weekend. Any plans for the long weekend? My plan, sit on the rooftop and watch the fireworks with a slice of pie (and something sparkling to drink). Let’s celebrate with a summery fruit galette (and a glass of bubbly).

I spotted these lovely tart cherries and berries (blueberries and black raspberries) at the market and had to snatch up a few quarts. Beyond eating them straight from the bowl or tossing them in my morning yogurt, can’t think of a better way to utilize these summer beauties than in a simple galette.

The thing I like about a galette is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Actually, a galette’s appeal lies in its imperfections. No need to worry if your dough is rolled out perfectly symmetrical. That’s the beauty of a galette. It’s rustic. It requires minimal baking expertise or equipment (just a rolling pin and a sheet pan).

A galette is free-form. It’s low maintenance. Easy to pull-off, yet impressive looking. Versatile. You can swap out the cherries and berries with other types of fruit (e.g., peaches, apricots, figs), add spices (e.g., cardamom, ginger, fresh vanilla bean), or use this basic recipe and transform it into a savory version. And, of course, that yummy synergy of flaky, buttery, sweet, and tart. That pretty much checks all the boxes.

As for the traditional galette crust, this is one you’ll want to add to your recipe collection. It’s made with all-purpose (AP) flour and plenty of (chilled) butter. I contemplated swapping out some of the AP flour for something more wholesome (like spelt or whole wheat), but ultimately decided against it. Sometimes you just want to enjoy a good piece of pie and not think about nutrition or whether it’s ‘good’ for you. It’s dessert after all. Light, crispy, and flaky, that’s what you want in a good pie crust.

Lastly, I like a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Maybe a sprig or two of mint.

While I have several drawers full of gadgets, some essential, some not so essential, this cherry pitter really comes in handy.

I kept it pretty simple, a mixture of tart cherries, blueberries, black raspberries,sugar, lemon zest, corn starch, and a pinch of salt.

Bake until the crust is nice and browned and crispy and the fruit is hot and bubbling.

Mixed Berry (and Cherry) Galette

Adapted slightly from the NY Times

For the Dough:
1 ⅓ cups (165 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (15 grams) sugar
½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
1 large egg
Heavy cream, as needed
1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into big pieces
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

For the fruit:
3 cups mixed berries and (pitted) cherries (sweet or tart)
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup (100 to 150 grams) sugar, to taste (I used 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon; I don’t like things too sweet)
Pinch of salt
Grated zest of ½ lemon
3 tablespoons cornstarch

To make the crust:
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade or in a large bowl, pulse or mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. In a 1/3 measuring cup, lightly beat the egg, then add just enough cream to get to 1/3 cup. Lightly whisk the egg and cream together.

Add butter to the flour mixture and pulse (or use a pastry cutter [or your fingers] to break up the butter). If using a food processor, do not over-process; you want chickpea-size chunks of butter. Drizzle the egg mixture (up to 1/4 cup) over the dough and pulse or stir until the dough just starts to come together, but is still mostly large crumbs. Mix in the lemon juice and zest.

Put the dough on a lightly floured counter and gently pat it together to form a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Heat the oven to 400F. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough out to a 12-inch round. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill while preparing the filling.

To make the filling:
In a large bowl, toss the fruit, sugar, salt, zest, and the *cornstarch together. Pile fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Gently fold the pastry over the fruit, pleating to hold the fruit in. Brush the pastry generously with leftover egg and cream mixture. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on the crust.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the filling bubbles up vigorously and the crust is golden. Cool for at least 20 minutes on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Note: Use more cornstarch for juicy stone fruit and less cornstarch for blueberries, raspberries and figs.