I haven’t really felt like weeping over food since I came back from San Francisco. All that changed tonight when I made this strawberry rhubarb galette.

I’ve been wanting to make the galette for a while, but I kept holding back. Mostly because I Hate (with a capital H) making pie dough. For some reason, it never turns out the way I want it to, even when I follow the directions by the book. Maybe a pie expert could help me; I don’t know. I was tempted to go get the pre-made pie crust at the grocery store today.

Then, I decided to forge ahead. All I have to lose is some flour, I told myself, and maybe my mind. I hedged my bets and luckily, everything turned out for the best.

I still had to do some last minute patchwork with the dough, but it all stayed together when I rolled it out.

This galette is very, very stealthy. I barely noticed how it smelled while it was cooking. When I took it out of the oven, it looked good but I wasn’t sure how it would taste.

I cut a slice and put a scoop of coconut gelato on top, and took a bite. I felt almost the same way that I did in San Francisco when I tried the Gateau Victoire at Zuni Cafe, or when I ate brunch at Tartine. “Holy shit,” I thought. Tears came to my eyes. “This is real.”

Here’s a good galette-baking song. It will get you through those vulnerable moments when you’re not sure if your crust will stay together, but then you realize that there’s always a plan B.

Strawberry Rhubarb Galette (ever-so-slightly adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod)

Ingredients 

for the dough:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup coarse cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk

for the filling:
2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup chopped rhubarb
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon zest

to finish:
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Directions

To make the dough, combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, and salt in a processor; pulse 2-3 times. Add butter and pulse 4-5 times, or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the processor running, slowing pour the buttermilk through the chute, processing until the dough forms a ball. Remove the dough ball and adhere any remaining pieces of dough to it, then wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before rolling out.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

To make the strawberry rhubarb filling, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, and toss gently, making sure that the cornstarch is coating the fruit. Set aside.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Starting at the center of the dough, roll out, forming a 14-15-inch wide circle. Place the dough with parchment paper on a baking sheet. Add the fruit mixture to the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the border over the filling, overlapping where necessary and pressing gently to adhere the folds.

Lightly brush the edge of the dough with the egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. You don’t need to use the whole egg, just enough to brush the edge of the galette.

Bake for 1 hour, or until crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. For optimal results, serve with coconut gelato.

*Note-you can make the galette dough in advance. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.