Strawberry galette — easy no-pan pie

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**RECIPE, MAKES 4 SLICES**

For the crust:

2 cups (260 g) flour
1/4-1/2 cup (50-100 g) sugar (depending on how sweet you want your crust)
1 cold stick (4 oz, 114 g, I gave the wrong weight in the vid — this weight here is correct) butter (or, for vegans, vegetable shortening)
About 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt (maybe 3/4 if you're using unsalted butter)
3-5 tablespoons (40-70 ml) cold liquid (water, wine, fruit juice, whatever)

For the filling:

8 oz (225 g, half a pint) strawberries
1-2 tablespoons (12-14 g) sugar
zest of one lime (optional)
juice of half a lime (also optional, but consider some form of acid — balsamic vinegar is surprisingly nice)

For the topping (which is entirely optional):

One egg and water (or some melted butter, or coconut oil/milk, or the spare syrup from the strawberries)
Some coarse-grained sugar (like Demerara)
Some coarse-grained salt (particularly optional)

For the whipped cream:

1 cup (236 ml) cream
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1-4 tablespoons (12-48 g) sugar
1/4-1/2 cup (60-120 ml) sour cream (optional, also you could use yogurt, creme fraiche or any semi-solid fermented dairy substance)

Start the crust by cutting the cold butter into all of the dry ingredients — with a pastry cutter, a food processor, some forks, or a big knife — until the butter chunks are no bigger than grains of rice. Add just enough cold liquid to BARELY bring it together into a dough. It should still be crumbly. Wrap it up and chill it for a half hour.

Stem and slice the strawberries and mix with the sugar (start with just one tablespoon — you can add more later) and lime (if using). Let sit for a few minutes while the sugar draws moisture out of the berries.

Whip the cream, mix in the extract, as much sugar as tastes good to you, and the sour cream (if using). Cover and keep cold until serving.

Prepare the egg wash by beating up the egg smooth with about a tablespoon of water. (Or if you're using melted butter, melt the butter.) Prepare the topping by mixing about a tablespoon of coarse sugar with about a teaspoon of coarse salt (if you're using salt).

Taste a strawberry and consider adding more sugar, acid, etc.

Put a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet (or if you don't have parchment, lightly grease the baking sheet). Start the oven heating to 350 F / 180 C convection, or 400 F / 200 C conventional.

Liberally flour a working surface, plop down the dough, and flour the dough. Roll it into a rough circle about 1/8 inch (1/2 cm) thick — roll a little, then turn 90 degrees, roll a little more, turn 90 degrees, etc.

Drape the dough over your rolling pin and transfer it to your baking sheet. Put the strawberries in the middle, but try not to pour on the excess syrup in the bowl. Smooth them out, leaving yourself a wide border all the way around. Fold the border in onto the filling — the filling should be partially covered with a top crust, but there should still be a large area of uncovered filling in the center.

Brush the top-facing crust with the egg wash (or melted butter, or coconut milk/oil, or the excess strawberry syrup) and coat with the sugar topping. Bake until light brown on top, 45-60 minutes. Let cool before slicing and serving with the whipped cream.