While I was at the store for my big grocery haul last week, I came across the most beautiful and fragrant peaches, so on impulse I bought a big bag of them. I love purchasing seasonal ingredients, but was afraid that since I bought so many peaches, they would spoil before I could eat them all on their own. Thus, I set out to figure out how I could use them. I came up with the recipe for this fresh peach tart by scouring the internet for various recipes, and pairing them with my favorite pie dough recipe which I adjusted so it would make just enough for a single layer of tart dough.
Note that you can use this recipe and make it into a pie by using a pie pan, however you’ll want to leave out the parchment paper. I use parchment paper to line the bottom of the 9 inch standard tart pan with removable bottom. This helps remove the tart from the pan once it’s baked.
For the fresh peach tart dough:
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons) very cold or frozen salted butter
For the fresh peach tart filling:
- 4 firm peaches (mine were mid sized)
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons arrow root powder or cornstarch
To make the tart dough, start by mixing the sugar, salt, water, and vinegar together, and stir to dissolve. You want to make sure that when you make the dough, the water is very cold. I have found that it works best to mix everything together then stick the mixture in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes while you work on the rest of the ingredients.
This is not the most traditional way to make pie dough, but it’s very easy and results in a super flaky crust. First add your flour to a big mixing bowl. Then get out your stick of butter and a box grater. I like to use frozen butter for this. Grate the butter on a box grater directly into the flour, then use a wooden spoon to disperse the grated frozen butter throughout the flour mixture.
Once the butter is distributed throughout the flour, add your liquid ingredients to the bowl in one batch, then stir with a wooden spoon to combine and moisten the dry ingredients. The dough will seem crumbly but should hold together if you squeeze it in your hand. Gather the dough together and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to chill and relax for about 30 minutes. You want the dough to be chilled, but not too cold or else it will be very hard to roll out and press into the tart pan.
While the tart dough is chilling, work on your peach filling. Slice the peaches into about ¼ inch slices. I leave the skin on because I think it looks prettier and there’s a lot of nutrients in the skin. It’s also a pain to peel peaches, and I don’t have the patience to do so. If you want to peel the peaches, go ahead, but it’s not necessary.
Add the sliced peaches to a separate mixing bowl and toss them with the rest of the filling ingredients. Let them sit at room temperature until you’re ready to make the tart. Note that juices will accumulate in the bowl, but the cornstarch or arrow root powder will help the juices thicken and gelatinize when the tart bakes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
After the dough has chilled, place a round of parchment paper at the bottom of a standard 9 inch tart pan. Dust your work surface and your rolling pin with flour and roll out dough to 1/4” thick. This will be about a 12 inch wide circle, give or take. Place the dough over the pan and form the dough to the tart pan, pressing into the edges of the pan as needed.
Layer the peaches into the pan starting from the outer edges to the center in a circular pattern so they overlap. Once all peaches are in the tart, pour accumulated liquid evenly over the top of the sliced peaches. This liquid will thicken as it bakes and cools.
Here is what my tart looked like before putting it in the oven:
Place tart pan on a cookie sheet in case anything leaks, and bake in the middle rack of the oven.
Bake the fresh peach tart at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.
Let the tart cool to room temp, or let it cool at least a little bit before cutting. The more you let the tart cool down, the more the liquids will firm up, which will make it easier to cut. Store the tart covered in the fridge and enjoy!