Plum Galette
It’s been a few weeks now that I’ve had pie on the brain. Last week I taught a pie workshop, so there was lots of planning and dough-making in advance. The class was so much fun, and I could not have been more impressed with everyone’s creations especially considering most of the group were pie novices. We ended up with a little extra dough, so we baked a couple galettes to use it all up. Feeling inspired, I baked a plum galette when I got home.
Plums don’t get as much attention as they deserve. They’re a little tart and pair well with cherries, peaches and pretty much any stone fruit. I carefully arranged the plum slices in this galette even though the dough edges were rough. I liked that it turned out a little more formal, but nowhere near as fancy as a double crust pie. The moment my knife cut through that first slice, the pastry showed off its perfectly flaky crust.
Plum Galette
Makes one 9-inch galette
1-1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
2 teaspoons plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/4 cup ice cold water
8-10 plums, pitted and sliced 1/4″ thick
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large egg
1 tablespoon sanding sugar
Combine 1-1/4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons sugar and salt in a large bowl. Use a fork or pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles pea-sized clumps. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gradually fold the water into the dry ingredients. When the dough starts to form, use your hands to bring it together into a ball. Press the dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2-3 days.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, gently stir together the plums, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice and lemon zest.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into an 11-inch diameter circle. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Start in the center and arrange the plum slices overlapping in a circular pattern, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough at the edge over to meet the fruit.
Whisk together the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash on the crust and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.
