Peach and StrawberryGalette

Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter with your fingers or a bench knife until you have a mix of pea-size and almond-size pieces. Those visible flecks of butter are what give you flaky layers, so don't overwork it.

Drizzle in the ice water a tablespoon at a time, tossing as you go, until the dough just holds together when you squeeze a handful. Pat it into a disc, wrap it, and chill at least 1 hour. Cold dough is the whole game with pastry.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water next to it. Cut a shallow X through the skin on the bottom of each peach.

Blanch the peaches in the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then move them straight into the ice bath. Riper fruit needs less time. Once cool, the skin slips right off from that X. Then slice the flesh 1/4 inch thick.

Toss the sliced peaches and quartered strawberries with the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Let them macerate for 15 to 20 minutes. This pulls out the extra juice you don't want pooling in the crust.

Tip the fruit into a strainer set over a bowl and catch all the juice. Toss the drained fruit with the cornstarch and set it aside. Pour the collected juice into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes a thick, glossy syrup that coats the back of a spoon, about 4 to 6 minutes. You should have roughly 2 to 3 tablespoons remaining. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Do not fold it back into the fruit. Reserve it for the assembled galette.

On a floured sheet of parchment, roll the chilled dough into a rough circle about 12 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. Slide the parchment onto your sheet pan.

Stir together the ground almonds, sugar, and flour for the almond base. Scatter it over the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border bare. That layer soaks up juice and keeps the bottom crisp.

Pile the fruit over the almond base. Fold the bare border up and over the edge of the fruit, pleating as you go around. The center stays open. Chill the whole thing 15 minutes so it holds its shape in the oven.