When fresh strawberries are in season, this rustic, simple gluten free strawberry galette is the perfect way to let them shine. Make the entire tart ahead of time and freeze it raw, then pop it in the oven right before serving.
Do you only eat fruit during its growing season? I try to. Absence totally makes the heart grow fonder, and by the time it's strawberry season, I'm all in!
How to make a light and flaky, gorgeous fruit galette
My favorite pie crust to use in this strawberry galette is our extra flaky gluten free pie crust, made with a bit of sour cream. Simply make the recipe as far ahead of time as you'd like, then divide it in half, and wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
Once you find yourself with 2 pounds of fresh, juicy, bright red strawberries and a few minutes to spare, wash, dry and hull the berries. Sliced thickly so they don't disappear as they bake in the oven, strawberries know how to make their own sauce beautifully. Draw out their moisture by adding a dash of salt, a bit of sugar and some mellow white vinegar.
Roll out each piece of pie crust, brush the bottom with honey then pile half the strawberry in the center. Wrap the pie crust around about 1/4 of the filling, then brush again with honey, sprinkle with some coarse-grained sugar and bake.
You can also assemble the entire galette and freeze it raw on the baking sheet. Once it's completely firm, wrap it tightly in a freezer-safe wrap and return it to the freezer. Unwrap the galette and bake it right from frozen whenever you're ready. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time, but don't defrost it first.
Why coat the pie crust with sugar?
The recipe instructions call for coating the pie crust with honey right before placing the strawberries on top, and then the edges after folding them over the filling. You may have to heat the honey briefly in the microwave (or on the stovetop) briefly to thin it out before brushing it with a pastry brush.
The purpose of brushing the crust with honey along the edges is to help it brown gently. The reason to brush the crust with honey before adding the strawberry filling is to help seal it so the crust becomes flaky and perfect in the oven, without ever getting soggy.
Any honey that drips over the sides and onto the parchment paper will likely burn in the oven, but it's absolutely fine. You can easily brush away any burnt bits before slicing and serving the tart.
How to make your own simple syrup for brushing
Instead of honey or Lyle's Golden Syrup for brushing, you can make your own simple syrup. It can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for at least a week, if not more. And it's perfect for making cocktails.
To make the syrup, simply place 1 cup (200 g) of granulated sugar and 8 fluid ounces of lukewarm water in a medium-sized saucepan and whisk to combine well. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until all of the sugar dissolves.
Continue to heat the mixture, stirring occasionally but watching closely, until it begins to boil gently. Boil for about 60 seconds, and remove from the heat. The simple syrup should be clear and slightly thickened but still pourable. You can store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about 10 days.
Ingredients and substitutions
Dairy-free: The only dairy in this recipe is in the pie crust. If you'd like to make a pie crust without dairy, I recommend using my classic gluten free pie crust recipe. It lends itself more to being made with Spectrum nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening instead of butter and has no sour cream to be replaced with a dairy-free alternative.
Tapioca starch/flour: Tapioca starch/flour is my favorite starch to add to the strawberry mixture, as it helps the liquid in the strawberries to gel slightly without ever becoming glue-like. You can also use cornstarch, though, or arrowroot. Even potato starch would work.
Rustic Gluten Free Strawberry Galette
Ingredients
1 recipe gluten free pie crust
Honey or Lyle’s Golden Syrup (warmed slightly), for brushing
2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or other mild white vinegar)
3 tablespoons (27 g) tapioca starch/flour
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside. Divide the pie crust recipe in half, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and place the pieces in the refrigerator.
Slice each hulled strawberry thickly in cross-section from top to bottom. Most of the slices should be able 1/4-inch thick, but some can be smaller. Place the strawberry slices in a large bowl, add the vinegar and toss gently to combine. Add the tapioa starch/flour, granulated sugar, and the salt, and mix gently to combine. Set the bowl aside to allow the juices to be drawn out of the strawberries while you roll out the pie crust.
Remove the first piece of pie crust from the refrigerator. Roll it according to the recipe instructions into a round about 10-inches in diameter, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the pie crust to a large piece of parchment paper, and then to a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the entire surface of the rolled out pie crust evenly with a thin layer of honey or syrup. Leaving a clean 1 1/2-inch border all around, place half of the strawberry mixture in the center of the dough, piling the berries a bit toward the center. Fold the dough toward the center, and over about one-quarter of the strawberry mixture in overlapping pleats where necessary. Brush the sides and exposed strawberries with more honey or syrup, and press gently to help the crust adhere to itself and the filling. Sprinkle the galette with the optional coarse sugar. Repeat with the second piece of pie crust and the remaining filling.
Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven. Bake until the strawberries are softened and the crust is lightly golden brown, about 35 minutes. Remove the galettes from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet until the filling is mostly set. Slice and serve immediately.
Originally published on the blog in 2012. Photos, video, most text all new. Recipe simplified slightly.
GF Mum says
We made this tonight with blueberries and strawberries… and it was delicious! A big hit. (I will have to work on my presentation for the next time, though. ?)
Nicole Hunn says
Hahaha as long as you’re not taking pictures of your food, it doesn’t have to look perfect at all! ;)
Bonnie Stephens says
Can you use other fruits in this like blueberries and peaches? Are there any adjustments use other fruits?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Bonnie, I think you could use 2 pounds of blueberries or pitted and sliced peaches without any other alterations. You might want to add more sugar to the filling, though, if you taste the fruit and it’s more tart than sweet.
Patricia says
It turned out terrific! I chilled the individual tarts right before baking (I put them on parchment paper and a plate and off to the freezer they went). I like how the crust has just the right amount of sweetness (it will come in handy in so many recipes!) . Thank you again and I hope you had a fabulous Sunday!! XO
Nicole says
I’m so glad it worked out for you, Patricia. Well done!
xoxo Nicole
Patricia says
I was a good girl and I followed all the instructions to the t :-) And the result looks amazing and I’ll have one for breakfast! Good night!
Rebecca Thompson says
Great recipe! Can’t wait to try it on the beautiful strawberries that I bought today. We are already into strawberry season (seems almost year-round in Southern California), so many chances to enjoy this! Thanks!
P.S. I have found my boys at times shooting our strawberry beds with their airsoft guns!
Nicole says
Rebecca, I really laughed out loud at that one. They really did shoot the strawberries! I think eating them is a much better way to enjoy the season. ;)
xoxo Nicole
Leigh says
Hi Nicole
This is a general comment. THANK YOU!!!!! I really love your cookbook and just joined your blog. My son was recently diagnosed with celiac and I love baking. Our whole house went gluten free and nothing I made was good until I found your cookbook – you are a lifesaver. I dreaded cooking. I have not tried better batter yet (live I have rural area right now), but look forward to soon. Thanks so much for a great cookbook and making baking fun and edible again!
Thank You!!
Nicole says
Hi, Leigh,
Hooray! You rediscovered your love of baking. And thank you so much for buying the cookbook. :) So glad it’s been useful. I don’t have Better Batter sold anywhere that close to me, but even if I did I wouldn’t buy it there most likely. I order it online on their site, since that’s by far the best price. But it sounds like you’ve found something else that works for you, so for now just keep on keepin’ on!
xoxo Nicole
Anonymous says
This will be an awesome Mother’s Day treat! Thanks Nicole for all you do to make our gluten free life more enjoyable!
Gina says
Beautiful! Your crust looks amazing. Strawberries will be here in Oregon soon. I can’t wait!
Bethany says
I’m already totally in love with the pastry crust…but allergic to strawberries :-( would raspberries and/or rhubarb produce the same magical dessert? We made tarts with jam and left over bits of crust from a quiche this weekend and they lasted about 45 seconds!
Nicole says
Hi, Bethany,
Of course! definitely use another fruit. Other berries that are relatively soft and mostly sweet (raspberries, blueberries) will behave in much the same way as the strawberries. Rhubarb, a personal favorite of mine, is much less sweet so you’d need to add more sugar. And since rhubarb is fibrous, you might want to actually cook it down a bit before using it. Otherwise, you might overbake the crust while trying to soften the rhubarb. Even just blanching the chopped rhubarb in boiling water for 1 minute would help.
xoxo Nicole