We were meandering around, involuntarily smiling at the babies and dogs, and tasting various samples of produce. I saw what appeared to be a Korean Justin Bieber giving out peach slices, he gingerly placed a slice of white peach in my hand with metal tongs and, even though this isn't quite the peak of the season for peaches, it was tart and sweet and fragrant. I purchased two white peaches and and ogled a paper plate full of small white and yellow peaches marked $5. I said "Oh, I could use those to bake a tart. No, they are too expensive."
We got to the parking lot and I said "I should go back for the plate of peaches, no, they're too expensive, oh but I could make a tart..." We drove away and I continued to to mull over my options: One world with 5 fewer dollars but where a gorgeous peach tart made of white and yellow peaches, like a stained glass window, also exists; And another world, where there are 5 more dollars but no tart. We were finishing up another errand across town and I asked my husband if he would mind driving back so I could buy the peaches, he laughed. I'm a tragic clown. Bieber's mom laughed at me too and said "You're back! I knew it!" and gathered up the peaches for me.
I'm using the same recipe for the galette/tart crust that I made last year with nectarines. It's an Alice Waters recipe. It's a very good, the crust is tender and not terribly sweet. The fruit is mostly what you taste with this one. Yong said "MMMMmmmmm!" in such a high pitch that I knew he really loved it.
Dough:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, just softened, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons chilled water
Filling:
2 or 3 peaches sliced thin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 tablespoons sugar
Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons of the butter.
2. Blend in a mixer until dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining butter; mix until biggest pieces look like large peas.
3. Dribble in water, stir, then dribble in more, until dough just holds together. Adjust with more flour if the dough is too sticky, more water if it is too dusty.
4. Flatten into a 4-inch-thick disk; refrigerate.
5. After at least 30 minutes, remove; let soften so it’s malleable but still cold. Smooth cracks at edges.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Dust excess flour from both sides with a dry pastry brush.
7. Place dough in a lightly greased 9-inch round tart pan, or simply on a parchment-lined baking sheet if you want galette-style. Heat oven to 400°F.
8. Overlap peaches on dough in a ring 2 inches from edge if going galette-style, or up to the sides if using the tart pan (really do whatever pattern you like). Continue inward until you reach the center. Fold any dough hanging over pan back onto itself; crimp edges at 1-inch intervals.
9. Brush melted butter over peaches and onto dough edge.
10. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over dough edge and the other 3 tablespoons over peaches.
11. Bake in center of oven until peaches are soft, with browned edges, and crust has caramelized to a dark golden brown (about 45 minutes), making sure to rotate tart every 15 minutes.
12. Glaze: I just made a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water heated until syrupy.
13. Remove tart from oven, and slide off parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes.
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