A free-form fruit tart with folded pastry edges—no special tin needed.
Serves 4 | Preparation: 25 minutes | Cooking: 40 minutes | Total: 100 minutes
Times include the chilling, soaking or resting stated in the method. Cooking times are a guide: check tenderness and doneness before serving.
Ingredients
200 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
20 g caster sugar for pastry
45–60 ml cold water
250 g apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced, prepared weight
250 g plums, stoned and sliced, prepared weight
50 g caster sugar for fruit
15 g cornflour
½ tsp cinnamon
15 ml milk for glazing
Method
Rub butter into flour, stir in pastry sugar and add enough cold water to bring together. Shape into a disc, cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan. Roll pastry into a roughly 30 cm circle on floured baking paper and slide it onto a baking tray.
Mix fruit with sugar, cornflour and cinnamon. Pile in the centre, leaving a 5 cm border.
Fold the border over the fruit, pleating as you go. Press any cracks together and brush the pastry with milk.
Bake for 35–40 minutes until pastry is golden underneath and the fruit is tender and bubbling. Rest for 5 minutes before serving four portions. Total includes chilling and resting.
Variations and substitutions
Use pears instead of apples or replace plums with blackberries. Very juicy thawed fruit should be drained before weighing. A dairy-free block and plant milk make a useful alternative pastry.
Homegrown and seasonal produce
This suits small mixed harvests rather than perfect matching fruit. Slice apples thinly so they cook within the galette baking time.
Storage and freezing
Cool promptly, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or below; eat within 48 hours. Freeze without cream, yoghurt or custard in labelled portions for up to 3 months for best quality. Defrost in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Reheat only once until piping hot throughout if serving warm. Pastry will soften after chilling or freezing; reheat in the oven to improve the texture.
Find more ideas in the complete recipe menu. Explore our growing guide finder and From Garden to Kitchen guide, or plan your next harvest with Your Growing Companion.
Stock photograph illustrating ingredients or a serving idea. These recipes are practical ideas to try; they are not presented as all having been tested in my kitchen.
