Dutch Farmers-Market Plum and Almond Vlaai with Cinnamon Lattice

Make the dough: whisk the flour, yeast, one-third cup sugar and salt together, then add the warm milk and one egg and mix to a shaggy dough. Knead in the softened butter a piece at a time until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup for the fruit
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2/3 cup warm whole milk
• 1 egg, plus 1 egg for glazing
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 lb ripe purple plums, halved and pitted
• 3/4 cup ground almonds
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Make the dough: whisk the flour, yeast, one-third cup sugar and salt together, then add the warm milk and one egg and mix to a shaggy dough. Knead in the softened butter a piece at a time until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
2. Cover and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour, until noticeably puffed. Vlaai dough is a sweet yeasted dough, not pastry — it should feel soft and slightly tacky, closer to brioche than to pie crust.
3. Toss the halved plums with the remaining quarter cup of sugar, the cinnamon and the cornstarch, and let them macerate for 20 minutes. The cornstarch will thicken the juice they release so the base does not go soggy.
4. Punch down the dough and pull off a third of it for the lattice. Roll the larger piece out and press it into a greased 10-inch tart or pie tin, easing it up the sides without stretching it thin.
5. Scatter the ground almonds evenly across the base. This is the step people skip and then wonder why their vlaai leaks — the almonds absorb fruit juice and keep the bottom crisp.
6. Arrange the plums cut-side up in tight concentric circles, pouring over any syrup left in the bowl, and dot with the vanilla.
7. Roll the reserved dough and cut it into strips, then weave a lattice over the fruit, pressing the ends firmly into the rim. Brush the lattice with beaten egg and scatter over the sliced almonds.
8. Let it rest uncovered for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 375F — this short second rise is what gives the lattice its soft, bready lift.
9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the lattice is deep golden and the plum juices bubble thickly at the edges. Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
10. Vlaai is the pride of Limburg in the southern Netherlands, where every town bakery keeps a dozen varieties in the window and no birthday, funeral or Sunday visit happens without one. Unlike a French tart it is built on a yeasted dough, which makes it softer and more forgiving, and it is traditionally cut into generous wedges rather than dainty slices. Plum vlaai — pruimenvlaai — belongs specifically to late summer, when the Limburg orchards and the Saturday markets in Maastricht are heavy with purple prune plums. Serve it barely warm with unsweetened whipped cream, which is how it is eaten there.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 465 kcal
• Protein: 9g
• Fat: 17g
• Carbohydrates: 70g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 33g
• Sodium: 180mg