A galette is the most forgiving thing you can bake with pastry. Rough edges are part of it. The spelt crust stays short and crisp without tasting heavy, and it holds a juicy blackberry filling without going soggy on the bottom.
Bay leaf in a dessert sounds odd until you taste it. It doesn’t make the filling taste savoury. It adds a quiet herbal note that makes the blackberries taste more like blackberries.
This is a good recipe for late summer when blackberries are plentiful and cheap. It works with fresh or frozen fruit, and you can have it in the oven in under 30 minutes.
No tart tin, no blind baking, no pastry weights. Just a sheet pan and parchment.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Spelt crust bakes crisp without tasting heavy or dense
- Bay leaf gives the filling a subtle floral depth
- No tart tin needed, just fold and bake
- Works with fresh or frozen blackberries equally well
Ingredient Notes
- Spelt flour: Use white spelt flour for a lighter, more tender crust. Wholemeal spelt works but makes the pastry denser and slightly crumblier. Plain all-purpose flour can substitute in equal weight if needed.
- Unsalted butter: Keep it cold and cut into small cubes before rubbing in. Cold fat is what keeps the pastry short and flaky rather than tight. Vegan block butter (such as Naturli) works as a dairy-free swap.
- Fresh blackberries: Fresh blackberries give the best texture, but frozen work fine without thawing first. Frozen fruit releases more liquid, so add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch to keep the filling from running.
- Dried bay leaves: Two dried bay leaves steeped into warm blackberry filling is enough. Fresh bay leaves are more aromatic and one is usually sufficient. Remove the leaves before filling the pastry.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the fruit juices as the galette bakes, stopping the filling from making the base soggy. Arrowroot powder is a direct substitute in the same quantity.
- Light brown sugar: Light brown sugar adds a mild molasses note that pairs well with both the spelt and the blackberries. Coconut sugar is a close substitute with a slightly deeper flavour.
Spelt Blackberry and Bay Leaf Galette
Description
Spelt flour gives the pastry a nutty depth that plain flour can't match, and the bay leaf steeps into the blackberry filling as it bakes, leaving a faint floral warmth you'll notice but not identify.
Ingredients
Spelt Pastry
Blackberry Filling
To Finish
Instructions
Make the Spelt Pastry
- Combine the spelt flour, icing sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and rub them into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized pieces remaining.
- Add cold water one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork after each addition, until the dough just comes together. It should not be sticky or wet.
- Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap it in cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Prepare the Filling
- Place the blackberries, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and bay leaves in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir gently for 3 to 4 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the berries just begin to release their juice. Remove from the heat and leave to steep for 10 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves. The filling should look syrupy but the berries should still hold their shape.
Assemble and Bake
- Heat the oven to 200 C / 390 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll it into a rough circle about 30 cm / 12 inches in diameter. The edges don't need to be neat.
- Transfer the pastry circle onto the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the blackberry filling into the centre, leaving a 5 cm / 2 inch border clear all around.
- Fold the pastry border up and over the edge of the filling in overlapping sections, pressing each fold gently to hold it in place.
- Brush the folded pastry edge with beaten egg. Scatter demerara sugar evenly over the brushed crust.
- Bake on the lower third of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and the filling bubbles thickly at the edges. Check the underside by lifting one edge gently with a spatula. It should be golden, not pale.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before slicing. The filling firms up as it cools.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 6
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 290kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 14g22%
- Saturated Fat 8g40%
- Cholesterol 55mg19%
- Sodium 55mg3%
- Potassium 175mg5%
- Total Carbohydrate 38g13%
- Dietary Fiber 4g16%
- Sugars 14g
- Protein 5g10%
- Vitamin A 380 IU
- Vitamin C 12 mg
- Calcium 40 mg
- Iron 2 mg
- Vitamin D 12 IU
- Vitamin E 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K 14 mcg
- Thiamin 0.2 mg
- Riboflavin 0.1 mg
- Niacin 2 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.1 mg
- Folate 22 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.1 mcg
- Phosphorus 110 mg
- Magnesium 28 mg
- Zinc 0.8 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Keep butter cold until the moment you rub it into the flour for the flakiest texture.
- Do not skip the cornstarch in the filling or the base will be wet and soft.
- Rest the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling for easier handling.
- Remove bay leaves from the filling before spooning onto the pastry.
- Bake on the lower third of the oven to help the base crisp through.
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