Impress your friends with a twist on the classic blueberry pie. My Lavender Blueberry Galette is perfect for your next potluck or summer soiree.
First off, I really love how galettes are a smaller, simplified version of a pie. You don’t need a pie plate. You don’t need to crimp. You don’t need to make a fancy lattice. None of that. It’s supposed to be rustic. I think a galette is a great starter pie for the newbies. Plus, it’s French so your friends won’t have any idea you’re trying to cut a corner or two. Fall is fast approaching, so if the galette intrigues you, check out my apple version. I called it a crostata but it’s the same thing. I definitely would recommend using my new updated dough recipe from this post and combining it with the apple filling and crumb topping from my older post. After a few dozen pies, I’m beginning to really learn how to work that dough.
So, let’s talk about the dough. My two secret ingredients are vodka and apple cider vinegar. The alcohol from the vodka and acid from the vinegar both work in different ways to inhibit gluten formation, leading to a more tender dough. It’s also so so important to keep that butter cold. I freeze and refrigerate the dough several times throughout the pie-making process. It must go into the oven cold for the optimal level of steam and air pocket formation to occur that makes those lovely flaky layers that we all love. For more pie dough tips, check out my post on The BEST Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and look for the heading “Tips for a Great Pie Crust.”
Now, this is not your average blueberry pie. This is a lavender blueberry galette we’re making here, so let’s address the lavender. Sure the first thing you might associate with lavender is soap or your favorite laundry detergent, but it’s great in food too! I promise. My lemon lavender shortbread cookie recipe is another example of how awesome lavender can be in baking. Lemon lavender is a super popular combination, but why lavender blueberry? Honestly, I’m not sure. I wanted to do something a little different with this blueberry dessert and lavender just came to mind. Maybe I’ve heard of it before? Then I googled ‘lavender blueberry’, and of course discovered hundreds of other bloggers and chefs already came to the conclusion that this is a good combo. It was reaffirmed the flavor I was imagining in my head was indeed a winner, and also that it’s nearly impossible to be original these days. The lavender adds a complimentary floral note which I accented with lemon zest and vanilla. I like to add just enough lavender to taste it. If you go overboard, it will be bitter and soapy and frankly gross. You can also of course leave out the lavender all together. You do you. That’s what Laura Vitale says.
So the result here is a rich, buttery flaky crust filled with jammy blueberry goodness. The filling has just the right balance of sweet and tart, and the texture is perfect. I hope my Lavender Blueberry Galette makes it to your table this summer. It’s totally worth the effort, guys.
PrintLavender Blueberry Galette
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 galette, 6 servings 1x
Description
This lavender blueberry galette has a rich, buttery flaky crust filled with jammy blueberry goodness. The filling is sweet, tart and slightly floral.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 9 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces, chilled
- 1 ½ tbsp vodka, chilled
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, chilled
- 5 tsp ice water, divided
- 1 egg, for wash
- Demerara or other coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Filling:
- 2 cups blueberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- Zest of half a lemon
- ½ tsp dried lavender, ground (with a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine flour & butter: Place butter cubes in freezer for 10 minutes before using. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add butter pieces and toss to coat in flour. Rub butter into flour using fingertips to create some large, irregular pieces and some thin, flat pieces. Work quickly to avoid overheating butter. Place in freezer or fridge for several minutes if butter gets too warm.
- Add liquids: Mix together vodka, vinegar and 4 teaspoons of ice water in a measuring cup. Drizzle over flour/butter mixture. Mix with fork to create a shaggy mixture. Knead gently to form a dough. It should look dry and rough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, drizzle over remaining teaspoon of ice water and knead together to just form a dough. Do not overwork.
- Laminate dough: Shape dough into a ¾ inch block. Divide in four, stack pieces on top of each other and press down to shape into a ¾ inch disc. This will create layers of butter that become flaky when baking. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.
- Roll dough & heat oven: Remove dough from fridge and sit on counter for 5-15 minutes or until warm enough to work with. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick into a 13-inch round. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and chill in fridge until firm. While dough chills, preheat oven to 400°F.
- Mix & Add filling: Remove pie dough from fridge to warm slightly before filling. In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients for filling. Working with dough on baking sheet, spoon filling into center, leaving a 2 inch border. Fold dough border in over filling, pleating every 2 inches. Check to make sure there are no cracks. Transfer to freezer to chill for 10-15 minutes.
- Top & Bake: Beat egg with one tablespoon of water. Remove tray from freezer and brush top of pie crust with egg. Sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 45-55 minutes or until crust is well-browned and filling is bubbling. Cool for about 10 minutes on the sheet tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙ of galette
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 268mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
Bency Koshy says
Lovely!! How does the vodka and apple cider vinegar help the dough? Is it added for the dough to not get too tough?
Sabrina Russo says
Yes, exactly! Alcohol adds hydration without contributing to gluten formation, and the acid from the vinegar has a tenderizing effect. I definitely recommend trying either vodka and/or the vinegar next time you bake a pie!
Kamini Kapoor says
This looks like a great recipe. i pinned it on my Pinterest account.
sabrinarusso136@gmail.com says
Thanks, Kamini!
Mimi says
Absolutely gorgeous. I tend to only make savory foods, but this is so tempting…
sabrinarusso136@gmail.com says
Thanks so much, Mimi 🙂