Easy Plum Galette with Luxurious Créme Fraîche Topping

A easy rustic plum galette topped with luxurious vanilla bean paste créme fråiche is the perfect late summer fall dessert

a plum galette with creamy topping on a plate
This simple dessert should be on your table this Fall.

What is a plum galette?

A galette is an open-face, nofuss pie filled with delicious stone fruit.

My “Vodka” dough needs a few hours to “rest” for the flour to be hydrated by the butter, shortening and water. The crust is a breeze to whip I up in your food processor- if you do not have a food processor, mix the dough with clean, cool hands in a large bowl. As the crust bakes, the alcohol evaporates and makes the crust extra flakey.

The filling is just tart plums, sugar, cinnamon, a bit of lemon juice and instant tapioca to thicken the juices. Chill and roll out onto a dough speckled with butter. Fold up the edges and chill before baking for an extra flakey crust. This recipe is very forgiving. No fancy crust edges to fiddle with or decorate.

a baked golden brown galette

Why this recipe plum galette recipe works:

  • It’s forgiving- I make a lot of galettes and this crust is meant to look rustic. Don’t fuss over perfect edges.
  • The butter and shortening make for a flakey yet sturdy crust that holds the fruit beautifully.
  • Vodka added to the crust but a 2 hour rest time means the flour is fully hydrated and the vodka, as it burns off helps to “lift” the butter and shortening for a very flaky crust.
  • Sanding sugar adds for a surprising little crunch in your crust.
a branch of a plum tree loaded with deep purple plums

Pro-tips for a perfect rustic plum galette:

  • Be certain to let the dough fully chill for 2 hours.
  • Let the plums and sugar and tapioca rest for an hour. This allows the tapioca to dissolve.
  • Mound the plums in the center of the dough once rolled out- this creates an ideal rustic look for the galette.
  • Make certain the dough is very cold when working with it.
  • Line your pan with parchment paper and use a rimmed baking sheet for easy clean up.

Ingredients in this Easy Plum Galette with luxurious créme fraîche topping:

fresh ingredients-

  • fresh plums
  • eggs
  • butter
  • créme fråiche
  • heavy whipping cream
  • lemon

pantry ingredients-

  • all purpose flour
  • whole wheat flour
  • salt, cinnamon
  • sugar
  • sanding sugar
  • confectioners sugar
  • vanilla paste
  • instant tapioca
  • vegetable shortening
  • water
  • vodka
a rolled out rustic pie dough on a sheet tray next to a bowl of plums and sugar

What is Créme Fraîche?

Créme Fraîche is French for “fresh cream” . It is tangy like cream cheese and sour cream- thick like mascarpone. The taste is a bit sour so I like to sweeten it a bit. It has a fat content of about 30%.

The Créme Fraîche topping is a true indulgence. If you do not want to make this, a simple whipped cream topping or a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be wonderful. You can use a sweetened sour cream, whipping cream and sugar topping as well, but I promise you, the Créme Fraîche is heavenly. You can find tubs of Créme Fraîche in the fancy cheese section of your grocery store. It is sold in little tubs.

plums in sugar and mounded on dough

Equipment needed for this easy plum galette with créme fraîche:

  • food processor
  • pastry brush
  • parchment paper
  • large bowl
  • rimmed baking sheet. Buy my favorite HERE
pie dough folded onto plums

Other rustic pie recipes to try:

a plum galette with creamy topping on a plate

Plum Galette

A luxurious stone fruit filled rustic tart topped with whipped creme fraiche
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: plum galette
Prep Time: 6 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 624kcal

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2 cups All Purpose flour
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 6 TBSP unsalted butter- cold
  • cup vegetable shortening
  • ¼ cup ice water
  • ¼ cup vodka – ice cold ( you can use all water if you prefer)

For the Fruit Filling

  • 8-10 large plums , sliced and pitted
  • cup sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
  • 1 TBSP instant tapioca
  • 1 large egg , beaten well
  • 1 TBSP sanding sugar *- for dusting the crust

Fo the topping

  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 4 oz Créme Fraîche – room temperature
  • cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

For the Topping

  • Making the topping and chill: Mix the Crème Fraîche in the bowl of a stand mixture on low until softened. Add in the heavy whipping cream and beat until thick and creamy. On low speed stir in the sugar and vanilla paste. Chill until ready to serve the galette. Keeps for 2-3 days the fridge in an air tight container.

For the Crust

  • In the bowl of a food processor, pulse 2 cups of AP flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 tsp kosher salt. Add in the cold butter and shortening . Slowly add in the 1/4 cup of ice water and then the 1/4 cup of ice cold vodka. if you live in a humid climate, you may need to add less water. Watch the dough carefully while adding the liquid . You want it to resemble coarse sand.
  • Transfer to the dough to a clean lightly floured surface add pat into a large flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap tightly and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

For the Filling

  • Combine the sliced plums, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and tapioca . Stir well to completely coat the fruit. Chill for 1 hour.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a 10 inch’ish circle. Transfer the dough to a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet using a rolling pin to carry the dough. You can let the edges be rough and cracked. The dough does not need to be perfect.
  • Spoon the chilled plum filing onto the dough mounding it into the center leaving a 2-3″ edge around the dough. Fold the edges up onto the filling. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Chill the galette for 10 minutes in the freezer.
  • Bake the galette at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden and filling bubbly. Let rest at least 2 hours. Slice into wedges with a large serrated knife- like you would a pizza. Top with the vanilla bean crème fraîche.

Notes

  • You can freeze this dough up to three months. To freeze, place the plastic wrapped disc in a zip top bag and remove as much air as possible. Be certain to write the date you made the dough on the zip top bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling out to create your galette.
  • It is very important to chill the galette in the freezer just prior to baking. This ensures an extra flakey crust. You want a COLD dough going into a hot oven.
  • Sanding sugar can be found in the baking sections of most grocery stores, Williams Sonoma, Whole Foods Etc. Buy online
  • Store the galette on a large plate wrapped loosely with plastic. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350 to re-heat.
  • Nutrition

    Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 66.7g | Protein: 12.5g | Fat: 33.3g | Saturated Fat: 13.2g | Cholesterol: 237.8mg | Sodium: 329.9mg | Potassium: 128.1mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 25.1IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 5.1mg | Iron: 14.7mg

    I recently stumbled upon a house in town and the owners shared their bounty of plums. I asked the owner if she could spare a few plums and she picked me about a gallon. I’ve made plum jam and this gorgeous galette with the bounty. Sorry bears- these plums are all mine.

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    1. Tracey Lupin says:

      This was much easier than I thought it would be.