Lately, I’ve been creatively working my sourdough starter into baked goods around my kitchen. It started with my desire to reduce the “waste” of feeding my starter one to two times per day. Rather than reduce the amount of flour I use to feed my starter (though, this is definitely an option), I began testing using the sourdough starter discard in other baked goods. Eventually, I fully realized the significant amount of flavor in that fermented flour mixture.
Sourdough starter discard is simply fermented flour and water, after all. And with this fermentation comes an incredible depth of flavor thanks to the acidity created as a byproduct of lactic acid fermentation. Instead of just throwing out or composting your fermented sourdough starter, use it in a starter discard recipe!
Enter this whole-grain peach, blueberry, and lavender sourdough galette. This galette is everything you want in a sweet treat: the crust is buttery, tender, flaky, and the fruit-filled galette is packed with flavor.
All the stars aligned for this sourdough galette, let me tell you. I recently went on a tour of a local lavender farm (photos here in my Apricot, Lavender, and Walnut Sourdough recipe) and brought home some of their culinary lavender to use in a few bread recipes I’ve been playing with (more to come) and not a week later was I given a sack full of fresh peaches from my family’s tree back home.
I waited for these peaches to reach optimal ripeness. Then patience suddenly turned impatience as I woke up one morning to find myself on autopilot—my grain mill was on the counter, and the sound of the burrs churning away sung in the background.
As I was milling, I reinforced myself: peaches and lavender sound good together, right? It’s like some instinctual drive to put these two in the same dish, or perhaps a recipe I stumbled on long ago buried deep in my subconscious; either way, this pairing bubbled to the surface just as these fresh, local ingredients serendipitously arrived in my kitchen.
After I toured the farm, I brought home only fresh lavender, but if you have culinary lavender oil, two or three small drops should suffice for this recipe (you might have to experiment with this — be careful not to add too much lavender as it can come across as “soapy” in the end product). I used my mortar & pestle to pulverize the fresh lavender into a fine powder and then mixed it right into the filling with the rest of the ingredients. The smell is pretty intoxicating.
While this recipe calls for peaches and blueberries, you could use this crust and fill ingredients as a base for almost any fruit, and adjust the sugar to suit—I like this sourdough galette to be a little less on the artificially sweet side and let the fruit shine through.
With my mill going at full speed, the smells of creamy, fresh-milled flour and lavender in the air, and my mind on those ripe peaches, I could hardly wait to get baking.
Sourdough Starter Notes
I used my 100% hydration liquid sourdough starter when it’s ripe and ready for refreshment for this recipe. If you’re maintaining a lower hydration sourdough starter, keep 1/2 cup of icy water nearby. After you add your starter to the dough & butter mixture, add in more water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough comes together.
I firmly believe any sourdough starter will taste great in this recipe, whether it’s a liquid starter or stiff starter, and regardless of what flour is used for maintenance: white wheat, whole wheat, rye, spelt—anything. Just be sure to use your sourdough starter when it’s just ripe to make your pie crust.
If you don’t yet have a starter, see my quick guide to creating a sourdough starter in 7 steps to get started.
Tips for Making a Great Sourdough Galette
Use Sourdough Starter Discard From the Fridge
While not mandatory, using cold sourdough starter discard will ensure the crust doesn’t get overly warm and begin to melt. I use starter directly from my sourdough starter discard cache, which is a jar that holds all my discards for up to 2 weeks.
Use Great Pastry Dough
This recipe uses my Flaky Sourdough Starter Pie Crust recipe as the base. That recipe makes two crusts, so I use one the day I want to make this sourdough galette and keep the other one, well-wrapped, in the freezer for later.
This pastry dough recipe is the perfect base for this sourdough galette because it has an incredible flavor complexity from the subtle sourness in the crust, but primarily, it’s a perfect flaky dough thanks to the added sourdough starter.
Use Fresh Fruit
Be sure to choose perfectly ripe peaches (or nectarines!) and blueberries for this galette. The sweetness of the berries and stone fruit enhances the overall flavor of this galette. Also, be sure to slice the fruit into uniform pieces to ensure consistent texture and ensure even baking.
Leave a Border
When filling the crust for this sourdough galette, be sure to leave a 2-inch border around the edge of the crust bare. This will be the crust you fold up and over the fruit to hold everything together.
Refrigerate the Filled Sourdough Galette Before Baking
After you roll out and fill the sourdough galette crust, fold the clean-bordered crust over the edges of the filling. Then, refrigerate the galette for 15 to 30 minutes before baking. This refrigeration will ensure the crust stays firm and prevents the filling from leaking.
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Whole Grain Peach, Blueberry and Lavender Sourdough Galette
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 galette
- Category: Pie, dessert, lunch
- Cuisine: American
Description
Using my Flaky Sourdough Pie Crust as the base for this recipe, the filling with fresh peaches, blueberries, and culinary lavender makes a truly decadent galette.
Ingredients
Sourdough Galette
- One Flaky Sourdough Pie Crust (swap the all-purpose flour for whole grain white Sonora or other whole grain wheat flour)
- 1 cup (about 150g) blueberries
- 1/2 tsp ground culinary lavender (optional)
- 5 medium peaches (about 560g), peeled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot (or cornstarch)
- 1/4 cup (30g) light brown sugar
- Scant 1/2 cup (85g) granulated sugar
Egg Wash and Sugar Sprinkle
- 1 egg, beaten
- Coarse sugar (like Demerara)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour your bench and roll the dough out into a round shape with a 12” diameter. Try to keep the thickness as even as possible by rolling a little and then turning the disc—any areas that are significantly thinner may fall down when baking (not a huge deal).
- Once rolled out, transfer it to the prepared baking sheet with parchment paper and place it into the refrigerator to chill.
- Combine the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and gently stir to combine.
- Remove the chilled dough and scoop the filling into the center but maintain a 2-inch clean border of dough all around. Depending on the size of your peaches, and how far you’ve rolled out your dough, you might have some extra filling—don’t overfill the dough, or it might spill in the oven.
- Working all the way around, fold the border up and over the fruit, pressing the dough together where it overlaps to create a seal.
- Important: Place the baking sheet with the galette into the fridge for at least 15-30 minutes to firm before baking.
- Remove from refrigerator, brush the dough with the egg wash, and sprinkle liberally all over with coarse sugar.
- Bake for about 40 minutes until juices are bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Let the sourdough galette slightly cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Adjust the amount of sugar called for to your liking, and more importantly, how sweet your fruit is! I reduced the called for sugar just a bit since my peaches were incredibly ripe and sweet.
Next time the stars want to align and throw me some fresh summer ingredients, I’ll follow suit and let my instinct take the driver’s seat—this sourdough galette is fantastic. If you try this recipe with any other flour types, I’d love to hear how they work out. I’m excited to continue experimenting with freshly milled flour and whole grains of all types for my dessert crusts.
Well, that and, of course, my sourdough starter.
What’s Next?
If you’re like me and it’s peak summer where you are, be sure to read through my guide to baking bread during the summer for practical advice on how to keep baking (and maintaining your starter) during the high-heat months of the year.
If you’re looking for more sourdough pastry, be sure to read through my Sourdough Chocolate Knots for a delicious little treat.
Buon Appetito!
