Vlaai
Ingredients
- Dough: 500 g flour, 7 g yeast, 250 ml warm milk, 60 g sugar, 1 egg yolk, 80 g soft butter, pinch of salt
- Filling: about 800 g pitted cherries, plums or apricots (or a cooked rice pudding), sugar to taste, a little cornstarch if the fruit is very juicy
Vlaai comes from the Dutch province of Limburg, and unlike most pies, its base isn't a flaky shortcrust but a sweet, brioche-like yeasted dough, rolled thin and wide. It's filled generously with fruit — cherries, plums and apricots are classic — or rice pudding, and often topped with a lattice of the same dough. Vlaaien are baked in large batches for local fairs and shared at family gatherings.
Method
Dissolve the yeast in half the warm milk with a little sugar; let it foam for 10 minutes.
Combine the flour and remaining sugar, then mix in the yeast mixture, remaining milk and egg yolk into a dough.
Add the salt, then knead in the soft butter until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes.
Roll out most of the dough thin and line a wide, shallow pie or tart tin, building up the edges slightly.
Fill with the fruit (tossed with a little sugar and cornstarch if needed), or spread with cooked rice pudding.
If desired, roll the remaining dough into strips and arrange in a lattice over the top.
Bake at around 200°C (400°F) for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
