Plum Galette
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Sweet-tart plums tucked into a golden, buttery crust—this free-form plum galette is simple to prepare and makes the prettiest summer dessert.
Whether you call it a rustic plum tart (American), a plum galette (French), or a plum crostata (Italian), you’re going to love this gorgeous summer dessert. With a crackly pastry crust folded over juicy purple plums, it’s essentially a free-form pie baked on a sheet pan, with a deliciously high crust-to-fruit ratio.
If you’re intimidated by making your own crust, don’t be! My all-butter tart crust is easy, forgiving, and comes together in less than a minute in the food processor. It makes a fabulous base for all kinds of fruit tarts (see my similar French apple tart and peach galette). And if you have crust-lovers in your house like I do, beware of late-night snackers who steal the pleated crust and leave you with only the center of the tart.
“My husband said this was the best dessert he has ever had! I am always in search of an amazing crust and this is it.”
What You’ll Need To Make a Plum Galette
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the crust and also helps soak up the plum juices.
- Salt: Brings out the flavor of the buttery crust.
- Granulated sugar: Lightly sweetens the crust and the plums.
- Unsalted butter: Keep it very cold for the flakiest crust; cut it into small pieces before starting.
- Cold water: Ice-cold is best so the butter stays firm as the dough comes together.
- Sliced almonds: Add a subtle nuttiness and help absorb some of the fruit juices. No need to toast them first.
- Plums: Red or black plums both work well. Look for fruit that’s ripe but still firm; very soft plums can make the galette overly juicy.
- Egg: Beaten and brushed over the pastry for a glossy, golden crust.
- Turbinado sugar: Adds a little sparkle and crunch; any coarse sugar will work.
- Apricot jam (optional): Gives the baked fruit a pretty, glossy finish. Peach preserves are a good substitute.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Plum Galette
Chop the Almonds: Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted and pulse until they’re finely chopped. Set them aside—you’ll use them later to add flavor and soak up some of the fruit juices.
Make the Galette Dough: In the food processor, pulse the dry ingredients together, then add the cold butter and pulse until you have pea-sized bits. Add the water and pulse just until the dough looks crumbly but holds together when pinched. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times to bring it together. Shape into a disk, roll into a rough circle—no need for perfection—and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Pop it in the fridge while you prep the plums.
Assemble the Galette: Take the dough from the fridge and roll it out directly on the parchment into a large, thin circle. Ragged edges are totally fine—that’s part of the charm. Sprinkle the top with the flour, almonds, and some of the sugar, then arrange the plums on top, leaving a generous border. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar, then fold the dough up and over the fruit, pleating as you go. Brush the crust with egg, sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and pop the galette back in the fridge to firm up before baking.
Bake, Glaze, and Serve: Bake the galette until the plums are tender and the crust is beautifully golden. Don’t worry if some juices escape and caramelize on the pan—that’s totally normal. Let it cool, then, if you like, brush the plums with warm apricot jam for a pretty, glossy finish. Carefully transfer to a serving plate or board and serve warm or at room temperature. It’s best the day it’s made, when the crust is at its crispiest.
More Fruit Desserts You’ll Love
Plum Galette
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) very cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-in (13-mm) pieces
- ¼ cup very cold water
For the Filling
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 lb plums, (3 to 4, depending on size)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup + ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon turbinado or coarse sugar
- 2 tablespoons apricot jam, best quality (optional)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process the almonds until finely chopped, about 1 minute. Transfer the almonds to a small bowl and set aside.
- Make the crust: To the bowl of the food processor (no need to clean it), add the flour, salt and sugar. Pulse briefly to combine. Add the cold butter and process just until the butter is the size of peas, about 5 seconds. Sprinkle the cold water over the mixture and process until just moistened and very crumbly, about 5 seconds.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times, just until it comes together into a cohesive ball. Pat the dough into a disk. Flour your work surface again and dust the dough with flour, as well. Using a rolling pin, roll into a circle 8 to 10 in (20 to 25 cm) in diameter, turning and adding more flour as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick. Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the plums (you’ll roll the dough out further on the parchment paper, so go ahead and clean your work surface).
- Assemble the galette: Cut the plums into ¼-in (6-mm)-thick slices. Take the dough from the fridge and slide the parchment paper onto the countertop. Roll the dough, directly on the parchment paper, into a 13-in (33-cm) circle about ⅛-in (3-mm) thick. It’s fine if the edges are a little ragged. Place the parchment and dough back on the baking sheet – the dough will run up the lip of the sheet slightly.
- Sprinkle the flour evenly over the pastry, leaving a 1-in (2.5-cm) border. Sprinkle the chopped almonds evenly over the flour, followed by ¼ cup (50 g) of the granulated sugar. Arrange the plum slices on top in overlapping concentric circles to within about 2½ in (6.5 cm) of the edge. Don’t worry about making it look perfect; it doesn’t make much difference in the end, and you don’t want the dough to get too warm. Sprinkle the remaining ⅓ cup (67 g) of sugar over the plums.
- Fold the edges of the dough over the plums in a free-form fashion, working your way around and creating pleats as you go. Patch up any tears by pinching a bit of dough from the edge.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the pleated dough evenly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top of the crust. Chill the assembled galette in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the center position.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the plums are tender and the crust is golden brown. (It’s okay if some of the juices leak from the tart onto the pan. The juices will burn on the pan but the galette should be fine -- just scrape any burnt bits away from the galette once it’s baked.) Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool.
- While the galette cools, make the optional glaze. Place the apricot jam in a small, microwave-safe bowl and microwave until bubbling, 10 to 20 seconds. Using a pastry brush, brush the plums with the jam until glistening.
- Use two large spatulas to transfer the galette to a serving plate or cutting board. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature. The galette is best served on the day it is made, but leftovers will keep nicely, loosely covered on the countertop, for a few days.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made this plum galette the other day and it was delicious ! My first attempt at a galette and the pastry dough recipe really came together so well.the filling was absolutely delicious too. A must try recipe, 🙂
Perfect…easy…beautiful…thank you!
Great recipe. First time I made it I thought the pastry was a bit odd in texture, even though it tasted lovely, but I’ve made it again and it’s the same so I guess it’s supposed to be like this. Anyway, we loved it so much the first time that, in anticipation of the lockdown we are currently in here in Spain, I froze plums so I could make it again while we’re stuck in the house. Thank you.
Enjoy it (and stay safe and healthy)!
Made this desert a couple of weeks ago. So easy, sooo good. Only my wife and I so it was around for three days after bake day. Did not lose the wonderful taste. Yesterday followed the recipe but filling was Peaches. I guess the Crust likes almost any kind of fruit. Now I like the looks of”Rustic French Apple Tart” . I’m sure it’s another Winner.
The presentation of this plum crostata (and oh yes, the TASTE) made me look like an expert in the kitchen. The crust especially was to die for. DEE – licious! Not a crumb left over. Will definitely make again. Thank you, Jenn!
Made this lovely dessert yesterday with the last of our beautiful Maglio plums. Finally, after 55 years in the kitchen, I think I’ve found a “go to” pastry — my husband said that he thought it was the best pastry I’ve ever made. I don’t even have a food processor! Thanks for making me look good, Jenn.
We have a plum tree that is just coming into season. My plums are much smaller, so they weren’t assembled in any particular order but it still looked and tasted delicious after baking. Last season I made many plum tarts but prefer this recipe much more in presentation and in taste! Thank you!
This was wonderful! I’ve made it twice in the last 24 hours with plums from our orchard.
I’ve never baked with plums but felt I needed to find a way to use up some of the fruit from the tree we inherited when we purchased our home.
This is a very easy recipe, especially with a food processor. And the final product looks like it took a lot
More effort than it did. I’m excited to explore other variations of galettes! Thank you for another wonderful recipe! I’ve made many from your site and all of them have become staples in my home. Bravo!
😊
Everyone loved this dessert! Thank you Jen for another fabulous recipe! I had a great time making it, and I felt a little bit like a pastry chef, lol. It was beautiful and rustic, and the crust is the best I have ever had!
Wow, WOW!! Easy to make and delicious. The crust is so lite and flaky, the filling you taste the sweetness with a little tartness. Will make again!
Enjoying your cookbook thoroughly, I have made so made of your recipe everyone is a keeper. Thank you Jenn!
So happy you’re enjoying the recipes, Eileen! 😊