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Placek ze śliwkami
Plum and crumble yeast cake
Polish yeast sheet cake with plums and crumble
When the węgierki plums ripen in late August, Polish grandmothers from Kraków to Gdańsk bake placek ze śliwkami on the big oven tray and cut it into squares for Sunday coffee or for the neighbours. Under a buttery kruszonka crumble the plums melt into jammy, sharp pools on a soft, slightly sweet yeast dough. It is best on the day, still faintly warm, with a mug of coffee or a dollop of whipped cream. Laying the plums skin side down is the classic mistake: the juice floods the dough and leaves it raw, so set them cut side up and close together. Chef's tip: toss the plum halves with a spoonful of semolina or breadcrumbs before arranging; it soaks up the juice and keeps the base light.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz plain flour
- ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast1 sachet
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup milklukewarm
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 ⅛ oz buttermelted and cooled
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For the topping
- 2 ¼ lb plumshalved and stoned, preferably small dark Italian plums
- 1 tbsp fine semolina
For the crumble
- 4 oz plain flour
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- 2 ½ oz buttercold, diced
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp icing sugar (optional)for dusting
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp lemon zest in a large bowl. Add ¾ cup milk, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk and knead for 5 minutes, until the dough comes together.
Step 2: Work in 2 ⅛ oz butter a little at a time and knead for 5–8 minutes more, until smooth, soft and no longer sticky.
8 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 4: Make the crumble: rub 4 oz plain flour, 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 2 ½ oz butter together with your fingertips until it forms pea-sized lumps. Chill until needed.
Step 5: Line a 25 × 35 cm baking tray with paper. Press the dough out to fill it evenly, about 1 cm thick.
Step 6: Toss 2 ¼ lb plums with 1 tbsp fine semolina and arrange them cut side up, overlapping slightly, all over the dough. Scatter the crumble over the top.
Step 7: Cover loosely and leave to rise for 30 minutes, until the dough edges look puffy. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
30 minStep 8: Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the crumble is golden, the plums bubble and the base sounds hollow when you tap the underside of a corner.
43 minStep 9: Cool in the tray for 20 minutes, dust with 1 tbsp icing sugar and cut into squares.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does placek ze śliwkami take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 105 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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