Pflaumenkuchen

Ingredients

• Flour -- 2 1/2 cups
• Sugar -- 3/4 cup
• Baking powder -- 2 teaspoons
• Salt -- pinch
• Unsalted butter, cut into small cubes -- 1/2 cup, or 1 stick
• Eggs -- 2
• Milk -- 2-3 tablespoons
• Breadcrumbs -- 1/4 cup
• Plums (see notes), quartered and pitted -- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
• Sugar -- 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup
• Cinnamon -- 2 teaspoons

Method

1. Mix the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Add the butter and blend it into the flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry blender to form a mixture with an oatmeal-like texture.
3. Beat the egg and milk together. Stir into the flour mixture with a fork until the dough comes together. Remove to a clean, floured surface and knead gently just until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.
4. Preheat oven to 400°F.Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan. Roll the dough out to about the size of the pan. Place the dough in the pan and press it to cover the bottom, creating a lightly raised edge. Prick the dough lightly all over with a fork.
5. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the dough. Arrange the fruit neatly on top of the dough, cut side up.
6. Bake in the preheated oven 35-45 minutes, or until the edges of the pastry are golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and sprinkly liberally with the remaining sugar and cinnamon. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Variations

• Damson plums (Zwetschgen in German) work best for this recipe, but regular plums are fine. They are a little juicier though, so add some extra breadcrumbs.
• Use any seasonal stone fruit for this recipe. Cherries, apricots and peaches all work particularly well.
• The breadcrumbs help soak up any extra moisture from the baking fruit. If the fruit you use are less moist, the breadcrumbs can be eliminated.