Strawberry Cornmeal Galette

I'm not sure if it's just the stores by me in Chicago, but it seems like strawberries are on sale everywhere. No, it's not strawberry season yet, but if they're cheap and they smell good (a sign of a good strawberry!), why not bake something with them? Most of my strawberry recipes leave the strawberries raw, like this strawberry cheesecake tart and this strawberry white chocolate mousse tart. But actually baking the strawberries into the tart cooks them down into a sweet, jammy filling that nobody can resist, plus it hides the fact that the strawberries aren't quite at their prime yet.

The strawberry filling starts by macerating the strawberries, which basically means you're tossing them in sugar to draw out some of the water. This gives you that jammy texture that's not too liquidy and doesn't soak into the crust to get it all soggy. After 15 minutes, drain off the liquid and add in the rest of the ingredients for the filling: a little more sugar to taste, some lemon juice and zest, a spoonful of cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. If you have really sweet strawberries to begin with, you may not need the extra sugar. The lemon juice and zest balance out the flavors, as does the salt. The cornstarch thickens whatever liquid is left so it doesn't seep out of the tart or through the bottom of the crust.

A regular pie crust would work just fine, but why not make it a little fancier? Cornmeal adds a bit of texture and a gorgeous golden hue. You still make the dough the same way: combine the dry ingredients, pulse in cold butter, and add cold water until it comes together. As with every other crust, keep the ingredients and the dough cold and work it as little as possible. I chill mine while I make the filling to make sure it stays extra cold.

Even though galettes may sound intimidating, they're actually way easier than regular pies or tarts because it's all freeform and they're supposed to look rustic. I take the chilled dough and roll it out to a thin circle-ish shape. The strawberries get piled in the middle, leaving a border around the edge that gets folded over to hold them all in. I start baking at a high temperature then lower it to finish baking. The extra heat creates more steam for a flakier crust and helps set the shape and the lower temperature allows it to cook through without burning. Once it's out of the oven, serve it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you've got yourself a deceptively simple but fancy dessert.

1 Cup Flour
1/3 Cup Cornmeal
1/2 Cup Sugar, Divided
1/4 tsp + Pinch Salt
1 Stick Butter, Chilled & Cubed
1 1/2 lbs Strawberries
1 tsp Lemon Zest
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2 T Cornstarch

Pulse the flour, cornmeal, 2T sugar, 1/4 tsp salt together in a food processor until just combined. Pulse in the butter, then gradually add 1/4 cup cold water until the dough begins to clump. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Hull and slice the strawberries. Toss with 1/4 cup sugar and let rest for 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 400F.

Drain the liquid from the strawberries. Toss with the remaining 2T sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt.

Roll the pie dough out to a thin, even circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pile the strawberries onto the dough, leaving a 1-2" border. Fold the edges of the crust up to partially cover the filling. Bake for 8 minutes, then lower the oven to 350F and continue baking for 20-25 minutes or until golden.