Begin with the pastry — the quiet hero of a great galette.

Add the flour, sugar and sea salt to a food processor and pulse briefly to combine.

Scatter in the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs with visible pea-sized pieces of butter still running through it. Don’t chase perfection here — those pockets of butter are exactly what create the flaky, layered texture once baked.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, apple cider vinegar and ice-cold water until smooth.

Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and pulse gently until the dough just begins to gather into soft, shaggy clumps. Resist overmixing; a light hand rewards you with delicate pastry.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together into a thick disc.

Wrap and chill for at least **30 minutes** while the filling comes together.

Place the prepared cherries into a large bowl and add the sugar, cornflour, salt, vanilla extract, almond extract and lemon juice.

Fold everything together until every piece of fruit is lightly coated and glossy.

Leave the bowl to stand for **10–15 minutes**.

This short rest allows the cherries to soften slightly and release some of their natural juices while the flavours settle together. The cornflour will absorb those juices during baking and create a beautifully glossy filling rather than a runny centre.

Preheat the oven to **200°C (180°C fan)** and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

Remove the chilled pastry and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rough circle around **30–35cm across** and approximately **5mm thick**.

Remember — this is a galette, not a pie. Uneven edges and imperfect curves are part of its charm.

Transfer the pastry to the prepared tray.

Spoon the cherry filling into the centre, leaving a generous border around the outside.

Dot the fruit with the cubes of butter. As the galette bakes, the butter melts into the cherries and gives the filling a richer, silkier finish.

Lift the pastry edge and fold it gently over the fruit, working your way around to create loose, natural pleats.

Leave the centre exposed so the deep red cherries remain visible.

Whisk together the egg and water to make an egg wash.

Brush generously across the exposed pastry and finish with a scattering of coarse sugar.

As it bakes, the sugar caramelises slightly and gives the crust its signature sparkle and delicate crunch.

Bake for **40–45 minutes**, until the pastry is deeply golden and the cherry filling is bubbling lazily at the edges.

Remove from the oven and allow the galette to rest on the tray for **15–20 minutes**.

This final pause matters — the filling thickens, the pastry settles and the slices hold beautifully.

Serve warm rather than piping hot.

Finish with generous scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and let it melt slowly into the buttery folds and glossy cherries.

A little messy, beautifully imperfect and exactly as a galette should be.