Method

• 1.
  For the pastry, toss the flours and salt together on a clean bench, then scatter over the chilled cubed butter and toss to coat. Using a rolling pin, roll the butter into the flour, gathering the mix together as you go, until the mixture is crumbly with shards of butter still visible.
• 2.
  Lightly whisk the creme fraiche and water together in a small bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the creme fraiche. Cover the creme fraiche with the flour mixture and, using your hands, gently push and fold together to form a rough dough. The dough should have a thick, smooth and slightly sticky texture. Shape the dough into a rectangle, about 2cm thick, wrap in plastic wrap or beeswax and rest in the fridge for at least three hours or overnight.
• 3.
  Remove the pastry from the fridge and place between two sheets of baking paper. Roll out until 4mm thick, then return to the fridge for a further 30 minutes.
• 4.
  Lay the pastry out on a lightly floured bench and cut out six 16cm discs. Any scraps can be pushed back together, rolled again and cut into more discs. Lay the discs on a tray lined with baking paper, making sure the pastry is evenly spaced, and refrigerate while you prepare the fruit.
• 5.
  Slice the plums in half. Set aside six intact halves, and slice the rest in half again, or in thirds if your plums are large. Place all of the plum in a medium bowl with the caster sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Toss gently with a spoon so the sugar evenly coats the fruit and set aside for at least 30 minutes to macerate.
• 6.
  Remove the chilled pastry discs from the fridge. Using five of the plum wedges per galette, arrange in a circle 2cm from the edge of the pastry, with the thin side of the wedges facing the inner rim of the circle. Fold the 2cm margin of pastry in towards the centre, over the plum wedges, and crimp the edges together to seal the pastry. This will leave a gap in the centre. Place one intact plum half in the centre, cut side up. Repeat with the remaining plums and pastry, then chill in the fridge for half an hour.
• 7.
  Preheat oven to 175°C.
• 8.
  Remove galettes from the fridge. Brush the exposed pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, then check the plums. If they are starting to colour too quickly, loosely place a small sheet of foil over each galette. Reduce the temperature to 165°C and bake for another 12-15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. They are delicious when still slightly warm, but also good at room temperature.