Happy (almost) Fourth of July! If you’re reading this from the States, I hope you’re feeling more patriotic than Mel Gibson circa the Benjamin Martin days. I hope you’re sporting your baddest jean shorts, your stars and stripes bikini top, or maybe a super slick handlebar mustache. Spit some watermelon seeds, fire up the grill, soak up all the sun and PBR that your body can tolerate. Just be sure that if you’re looking for something red, white, or blue to make on this razzle dazzle of a day, you consider this blueberry galette with a cornmeal crust.

Summer Treats

Something about the Fourth inspires me to berry-filled desserts. The colors, the ripe and juicy fruits, and the illusion that you’re choosing something “healthy” for bathing suit weather just makes me want to saddle up to every pie, turnover, and trifle that comes my way. Popsicles, ice cream cones, and cookie sandwiches are great, but on this most American of holidays, we need something that feels like a down-home, true-blue dessert. This blueberry galette is just the ticket.

Blueberry Galette

Ok, ok, I know some of you are thinking, “A blueberry galette? What about a pie? What about hand pies?” Yes, I hear you. But galettes are totally in the mix for a number of reasons. First, the prep and bake time for this galette is far less complex than a traditional double-crusted fruit pie. No crimping edges, no messy lattices, nothing. Just fold up the edges of your galette and you’re done. Second, we bake this galette in the oven, so there’s no fussing with a pot of hot grease for hand pies or turnovers. And third, the top of the galette is open and exposed, so we get to admire all of the fresh summer goodness that we’re about to enjoy. It leaves very little to the imagination, but honestly, I’m totally okay with that.

If you’ve never made a galette or pie before, this is the perfect way to get your feet wet. They’re faster and must easier to prepare, but still offer the delicious tastes and textures of a traditional pie. Sounds like a win to me.

How to Make a Galette

To make this blueberry galette, we start with prepping the cornmeal crust. I adapted the recipe for this dough from my cheddar cornmeal crust that I use to make the world’s most decadent pot pie. It’s nothing more than a little flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and fat… just what the doctor ordered. If you prefer a traditional pie crust, I’ve got you covered on that right here. This cornmeal crust is completely make-ahead, so you can prep it and store it in the fridge for a few days, or pop it in the freezer for a later time. The cornmeal may sound unusual, but just know that it pairs spot on with the blueberries. The flavor and texture difference is subtle, but that buttery crust flecked with little crunchy bites of cornmeal is a texture like no other.

Cornmeal Crust

Once our cornmeal crust is made, we get started on the filling for the blueberry galette. Toss a few cups of blueberries with some lemon zest, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Dump that filling into the center of your rolled-out pie dough and fold up the crust over the edges of those sweet berries. A brush of egg for color and a sprinkle of sugar for crunch and this blueberry galette is ready for the oven.

The hardest part of making this blueberry galette is waiting for it to cool off enough to eat it. We want the filling to set up a little so that we don’t have a soupy mess on our hands, but if you’re eager to dive in, there’s no shame in getting dirty. Cut into it quickly and you’ll have some spillage, but it will still taste fantastic. Scout’s honor. I like to top each slice of my blueberry galette with little scoops of ice cream or dollops of whipped cream, but take it dairy-free if you’d prefer. There’s enough delicious flavor, texture, and sweetness to admire in this galette all on its own, so you won’t miss the addition of cream.

Let’s take that all-American dessert of pie and make it even better with this fuss-free, mouth-watering blueberry galette. Less time spent in the kitchen means more time celebrating, watching fireworks, and loving our people, so let’s just do it, okay? Happy Fourth of July to you and happy baking!

If you like this blueberry galette, check out the following:

Berry Almond Streusel Pie

Peach Berry Pie

Strawberry Pretzel Tart

Blueberry Lemon Crumb Bars

Blueberry Cornbread

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake

Blueberry Galette with a Cornmeal Crust

Print Recipe

This blueberry galette is a juicy summer dessert scented with lemon and folded into a buttery cornmeal pie crust.

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 45
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1/2 cup (60 gm) cornmeal
• 1–1/4 cup (160 gm) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons (85 gm) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1/3 cup (70 gm) shortening, cold and cubed
• 3–4 tablespoons ice water, more if needed

For the filling:

• 3.5 cups (525 gm) of blueberries
• 1–1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons (75 gm) sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons sparkling or turbinado sugar (optional)

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Instructions

To prepare the crust:

1. In a food processor (or a large glass bowl) combine the cornmeal, flour, salt and sugar, stirring until combined. Pulse (or cut) in the butter and shortening until well integrated and pea-sized clumps form. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water at a time, pulsing (or folding in) until the pie crust clumps together. Add the water little by little so as not to make it too moist. Be sure not to overwork the dough. Flatten the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge until well chilled, at least 1-2 hours. You can make this ahead and freeze wrapped in tin foil as well. 

To prepare the galette:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a flat baking sheet or stone with a piece of parchment paper.
2. Combine the blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, cornstarch, and salt, tossing together to combine. 
3. Roll the cornmeal crust to a rough 12-13” diameter circle. Move the rolled out crust to the parchment paper.
4. Pour the filling into the center of the circle, leaving a 2” border around the rim of the circle. 
5. Carefully fold up the edges of the galette towards the filling, pulling the crust barely over the top of the outer edge of the blueberries. Fold them edges up over themselves, wrapping it up like a present.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Use a pastry brush to paint the visible tops of crust. Sprinkle the crust with the sugar, if desired.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the insides of the blueberry filling is bubbling and looks slightly thickened. Allow to cool prior to slicing and serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. 

Notes

• Allow the galette to cool well prior to slicing. This will help to ensure it sets up properly. You can speed this process up by letting it cool in the fridge.
• Fresh berries may taste better and will look prettier, but frozen fruit is just fine here. Try it out!
• You can substitute butter and shortening for each other in this recipe but it will affect the final outcome of the pie’s texture and color.