For the Pie Crust

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat it in the flour mixture. Using your hands, smash the butter between your palms and fingertips, mixing it into the flour, creating long, thin, flaky, floury, buttery bits. Once most of the butter is incorporated and there are no large chunks remaining, dump the flour mixture onto a work surface.

In a measuring cup, combine the vinegar and icy water and drizzle it over the flour mixture. Run your fingers through the mixture like you’re running your fingers through your hair, just to evenly distribute the water through the flour until the dough starts coming together.

Knead the dough a few more times, just to gather up any dry bits from the bottom and place them on the top to be incorporated. You will be tempted to add a tablespoon or two more water now – resist if you can, add only if you must.

Once you have a shaggy mass of dough (it will not be smooth and it certainly will not be shiny), knead it once or twice more and divide it in half. Pat each piece into a flat disc about 2.5cm (1in) thick.

Wrap each disc individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Do ahead: The pie dough can be made and refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 2 months.

For the Sugar Plum Galette

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a round-ish 33–35cm (13–14in) circle and transfer to the baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, toss the plums with the sugar until well coated. Scatter the halva onto the dough round, being sure to break up any aggressively large pieces, leaving a 5cm (2in) border all around. Top with the plums; I like to do a mix of cut-side up and cut-side down for a good distribution of juiciness and, of course, for looks.

Fold the crust up over the plums, overlapping slightly to create a good seal for all the juiciness to come.

Whisk your egg with about a teaspoon of water and use that to brush the crust with. Sprinkle the whole galette (the crust and the plums) with more sugar for juicier fruit and an extra crunchy/craggly/golden crust.

Bake, rotating the baking sheet front to back once, for 50–55 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown and baked through, and the plums are juicy, tender and bubbling with excitement.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with thyme, if using. Let cool completely before slicing.

Eat with: Vanilla ice cream is always a ‘yes’ for me, but plums really do take a shine to other flavours. This is an instance where I would push for serving an ‘alternative’ ice cream – something made with caramel, honey, sesame or nuts.

Do ahead: The galette is best eaten the day of baking, but will definitely last a day or two stored at room temperature, loosely covered with foil or plastic wrap. You can always warm it in a 190°C (375°F) oven if you like, although I almost prefer galettes at room temperature.