My favorite way of baking peaches is definitely this Rustic Peach Tart with fresh thyme. The peach season is very short, so I have been buying and eating a ton lately.
I feel like peaches have been particularly good this year, so I am enjoying them while they last. I love peaches when they are ripe, soft, and full of juices. I love eating them just like that. It reminds me of my childhood in France.
A walk down memory lane
My godfather had a friend who was selling peaches in the Farmer’s Market. Every Saturday we would go and buy him an entire crate. We would then have lunch outside by the pool (we called it the BBQ area) and finish the meal with the peaches. We would not have any pastries or anything like that. My godfather would just put the crate in the middle of the table, and we would all help ourselves to one, two, sometimes more, peaches.
We would have juices dripping all over our faces and arm. Wasps would smell the sugar and come to bother us. We would then quickly rinse ourselves and jump in the pool.
This is summer for me. And peaches are definitely part of my summer memories.
I am also from South of France, where thyme is one of the most used herbs. It grows everywhere and you can pick it up when you are out on a walk.
The “marriage” of both is just perfect.
How to make best Rustic Peach Tart
This recipe is very simple and there is almost no way you can fail it. However, a few things will help you make the best Rustic Peach Tart ever.
Use quality ingredients: as with every recipe, and especially simple recipes like this, you want to use the best quality ingredients for the best taste.
Marinate the peaches for 30 minutes. The thyme will infuse and you will get all the flavor out of it.
Cover the dough with almond powder, see why down below.
Tips for the perfect dough
Do not overmix your dough. It goes for every dough you will prepare. Especially when making regular tart. Overmixing your dough will make it elastic and it will shrink while baking.
Give your dough a couple of hours rest in the fridge before using it. The temperature is important: if too warm, the dough will be too sticky and hard to rolled out; if too cold however, it will break and will be almost impossible to shape. Take your dough 15 minutes out of the fridge before using it.
For this particular dough, we need to use cold butter. It is a bit harder to work, but this is what makes the sandy structure of the dough. Do not use warm butter.
How to pick your peaches
First, trust your smell. They should give away a very nice and sweet smell, and basically just smell like …peaches. They should also be slightly soft. Steer away from peaches that smell like nothing and are hard as rock. You can leave them on your counter for them to ripen a bit, once ripe eat them all quickly (or keep them in the fridge for a couple of days). Peach is the main ingredients of the Rustic Peach Tart, so you want to have the best product possible.
The use of almond powder
Some of you may wonder why we cover the dough with almond powder. The peaches are very juicy and will soak the dough if you just place them directly on it. By adding almond powder, you add an extra layer. The juice will soak the almond powder and create a layer between the dough and the peaches. It adds taste and texture.
A little twist!
Want to add something extra to your tart? Add sliced almonds on the exposed dough before baking. It will change the visual and add another texture (crunchy) to your dessert.
Rustic Peach Tart with Thyme
Ingredients
For the dough
- 250 g flour
- 125 g butter cold cut into small pieces
- 1 pinch of salt
- 60 g sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp cold water
For the filling
- 4 yellow peaches
- 30 g brown sugar
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- ½ lemon juice
- 1 tbsp thyme
Assembly
- 35 g almond powder
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
Instructions to make the dough with a mixer
- In the bowl of your standing mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix the flour and butter. Add egg yolk, sugar, salt, and water. Mix slowly. Once the ingredients are incorporated, stop the mixer. You don’t want to overmix, or the dough will be elastic.
- Put your dough on a lightly floured work surface. Push out the dough with the palm of your hand and smear it over your work surface (it is called “fraiser” the dough).
- Form a ball with the dough, slightly flatten it. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for a minimum of an hour.
Instructions to make the dough by hand
- On your work surface, use the tips of your fingers to mix together the flour and butter. It should look sandy. Add the egg yolk, sugar, salt and water. Mix with your hands until the dough comes together.
- Push out the dough with the palm of your hand and smear it over your work surface (it is called “fraiser” the dough). This helps make sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Form a ball with the dough, slightly flatten it. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for a minimum of an hour.
For the filling
- Wash the peaches and cut them into quarters. In a bowl, combine peaches, corn starch, lemon juice, sugar, and thyme. Toss gently to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Assembly
- Roll the dough in a circle. Cover the dough with almond powder, make sure to leave about an inch all around.
- Arrange the peach slices in an overlapping pattern in a single layer in the center of the dough.
- Fold the outer edges of the dough round over the peach.
- Brush the exposed dough with an egg yolk. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 375F.
So happy to have been able to taste this delicious tart, thank you for the lovely recipe!
So happy you liked it 🙂 Now you can make it again at home!