Ruby Plum & Cardamom-Hazelnut Rough-Puff Tresse
We are not suffering for brunch. This tresse gives you cafe-level lamination with a weeknight-friendly technique. The inspiration hit me during a late-summer farmers market trip in Berkeley, where the ruby plums were practically glowing against the stalls. I wanted something that showcased that tart, vibrant fruit without chaining me to a pastry board all morning. Butter is not a garnish here. By using a lamination-lite rough-puff, you get those shatteringly crisp, golden layers without the multi-day folding ordeal. We pair that buttery crunch with a nutty cardamom-hazelnut frangipane—a rich paste that anchors the juicy, bubbling fruit so the crust stays impossibly lacy, never soggy. Why it works: cold butter pockets create steam, and the frangipane absorbs the excess plum juices as it bakes. Make it your own by swapping the plums for nectarines or figs depending on what is ripe near you. Let time do the work on the chill, and don't skip the flaky salt at the end.
Featured Recipe
Ruby Plum & Cardamom-Hazelnut Rough-Puff Tresse
Flaky rough-puff pastry woven over a fragrant cardamom-hazelnut frangipane and juicy ruby plum slices. It delivers cafe-quality lamination with a weeknight-friendly technique that yields crisp, golden layers and vibrant summer fruit flavor.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 250 g All-purpose flour(Plus extra for dusting)
- 200 g Cultured unsalted butter(Cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 4 g Fine sea salt(About 3/4 tsp)
- 120 ml Ice water(Ice-cold)
- 80 g Hazelnut meal(Toasted ground hazelnuts)
- 50 g Unsalted butter(Softened to room temperature)
- 85 g Granulated sugar(Divided (60g for filling, 25g for topping))
- 0.5 tsp Ground cardamom(Freshly ground preferred)
- 1 large Egg(Beaten (divided for filling and egg wash))
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Fresh lemon zest
- 350 g Fresh ripe plums(About 3-4 medium plums, pitted and sliced)
- 0.5 tsp Flaky sea salt(For finishing)
- 25 g Granulated sugar(for sprinkling on top)
Instructions
- 1
In a wide bowl, toss 250 g All-purpose flour and 4 g Fine sea salt together. Add 200 g Cultured unsalted butter. Using your fingertips, press each butter cube flat into shards—we want flat sheets of fat, not breadcrumbs. Pour in 120 ml Ice water and bring the dough together with a spatula until a shaggy block forms.
10 min
Tip: Butter is not a garnish here—keep it cold so it creates distinct steam pockets.
- 2
Shape the shaggy dough into a rough 6x8-inch rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to rest the gluten and firm up the butter.
20 min
Tip: If the dough feels sticky or soft, let time do the work in the fridge.
- 3
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 8x16-inch rectangle. Fold the bottom third up and top third down like a business letter (a tour or envelope fold). Rotate 90 degrees and repeat this rolling and folding process two more times for 3 folds total.
10 min
Tip: Dust off excess flour between folds so the layers adhere cleanly.
- 4
Wrap the folded pastry tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set the lamination.
30 min
Tip: Cold fat equals shatteringly crisp layers later.
- 5
While the dough rests, make the frangipane: beat 50 g Unsalted butter, 60 g Granulated sugar, and 0.5 tsp Ground cardamom together until light. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of 1 large Egg (reserve the rest for egg wash), 1 tsp Vanilla extract, 1 tsp Fresh lemon zest, and 80 g Hazelnut meal. Slice 350 g Fresh ripe plums into 1/4-inch crescents.
15 min
Tip: Cardamom adds a fragrant, citrusy warmth that bridges nutty hazelnut and tart plum.
- 6
Roll chilled pastry into a 10x14-inch rectangle on parchment paper. Spread hazelnut frangipane down the middle third lengthwise. Layer sliced plums over the frangipane. Cut diagonal strips 1 inch apart along both outer edges of dough, then fold strips alternately across the center fruit line to form a braided tresse.
15 min
Tip: Don't press too hard on the edges—let the cut layers breathe so they rise high.
- 7
Transfer parchment and assembled tresse onto a sheet pan. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes while preheating oven to 400°F (200°C).
15 min
Tip: Baking cold pastry in a hot oven guarantees maximum rise and zero butter leakage.
- 8
Brush top of braid with remaining reserved 1 large Egg. Sprinkle over remaining 25 g Granulated sugar. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes until deep mahogany gold and plum juices bubble thickly at the edges.
35 min
Tip: Look for a rich burnished color—pale pastry equals raw interior crumb.
- 9
Remove from oven, sprinkle immediately with 0.5 tsp Flaky sea salt, and cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing into warm, flaky portions.
10 min
Tip: The short rest lets juices settle so the bottom stays crisp.
Chef's Notes
Cami's shortcut note: Rough puff skips full butter-block lamination without giving up lacy, shatter-crisp pastry layers. Don't skip this: chill the assembled tresse right before baking. Putting cold butter into a blazing hot oven creates instant steam pockets, giving you high-impact flake with zero stress. We're not suffering for brunch!
Camille Roux
Café-level bakes, weeknight methods, zero compromise.
Camille “Cami” Roux was born in Paris with flour in her hair and a healthy skepticism of culinary dogma. She grew up around neighborhood boulangeries that treated crust and crumb like religion—but what stuck with her wasn’t rigid tradition. It was the quiet precision: good butter that actually tastes like milk, patient fermentation that builds flavor for free, and desserts that know when to stop before they get cloying. After moving to the Bay Area, Cami trained in a bread-and-pastry scene obsessed with texture, naturally leavened doughs, and seasonal fruit—Tartine energy, minus the martyrdom. She became known for loaves that sing when they cool, jammy tarts with clean edges, and “how is this so good?” weeknight pastries made with a few smart shortcuts. Her motto is high impact, low fuss: splurge where it counts (butter, salt, time), streamline the rest (sheet pans, one bowl, cold-proofing). If it doesn’t improve flavor or structure, it doesn’t earn a step.