September ABC challenge: Buckwheat Galette with Apples, Onion, and Cheddar

This month, the challenge is apples.

The original recipe for this galette was badly written, which really makes me question their "test kitchen approved" stamp.  Per the comments to date, only one person had made it other than myself and it didn't turn out well.  Not all the ingredients were in the list, for one thing, and some were vague, like 1/4 of an onion, and 5 slices of cheese.  I had also questioned the need to add flour to the apples--- they weren't very juicy.  In fact, there was no running liquid in the pan.  But since it doesn't have a container to hold in any juices while baking, I figured this must be a safeguard.  In the end, it probably wasn't necessary, but didn't seem to hurt.

I've rewritten the recipe to be more clear, where that was possible, and also provided notes. My changes or suggestions are italicized or in strikeout.

Topping
5 slices sharp cheddar (packaged, pre-sliced)
3 fresh sage leaves, julienned
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

Dough
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks and chilled
1/3 to 1/2 cups ice water

Filling
1 tablespoon butter
2 fresh sage leaves, julienned
1/4 red onion, sliced 1/8" thick (about 1/4 cup)
2 green apples, cored, sliced 1/8" to 3/16" thick
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Chill the cheese in the freezer until it's firm, but not frozen. Pulse in food processor with the sage leaves until lightly crumbled. Add the 1/4 cup flour in three batches, pulsing between each, then pulse together at high speed until it's well combined into small crumbs. Pulse in 1 tablespoon brown sugar.  Set aside.

Whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt, then cut in or process the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas.  Add the ice water and stir until the dough forms into a ball-like mass. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

In a large sauté pan over low heat, melt the butter with the 2 sage leaves. Add the red onion and cook until wilted, then add the apples and sauté on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until apples soften and release their juices. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and toss to coat. Cook an additional 2 minutes so the sugar melts. Remove the pan from heat and toss with 1 tablespoon flour to thicken the juices. Reserve and cool filling.

Roll out the dough into a rough 12-inch circle. (The rough edges should extend beyond the 12 inches or the dough will be too thick.)  Move to a baking pan, then arrange apple mixture evenly in the center, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border. Fold edges over the apples and sprinkle with cheese crumble. Bake at 350° F for 40 mins or until the dough is cooked through and cheese is golden brown.  Serve warm.

I sliced the onion on the thinnest setting of my mandolin, less than 1/8 of an inch, but used a thicker setting, about 3/8 inch, for the apples.  My onion was rather small (often red onions are huge), so I used about 1/3 of it.  (I contemplated using 1/2, but played it safe.  Good choice-- I wouldn't have wanted more onion.)  I also didn't have fresh sage, so I used dried and just approximated the amounts.  I should have crumbled it more, as I tended to get the occasional strong bite of sage.

About the cheese... 5 slices?  Presumably the author is thinking of the packaged, pre-sliced cheese, which comes in about 4" x 4" x 1/8" slices.  Who buys that???  You'd think you could use cheese according to personal taste... except there's flour involved.  Too much cheese and you'll have it melting everywhere.  Too little and it will be floury and tasteless. Better too much than too little?  Turns out, possibly not.  I used 16 slices that were about 4" x 1" x 3/16", and I used about 1/3 mild cheddar and 2/3 New Zealand (white) sharp cheddar. I had just under 1½ cups of the crumbles, but I felt that was too much, so used only about 1 cup of it.  (This confirms my thought that the recipe intends you to use packaged, pre-sliced cheese.)  I started with only 2 tablespoons of the flour when the cheese was in about pea-sized chunks, and it looked okay, so I added another tablespoon.  Then it looked too floury, so I processed it longer and the cheese broke down into much smaller bits and the flour was well incorporated.  I just can't remember if I added the last tablespoon. I don't think I did, and since I started with too much cheese, my crumbles were certainly more cheesy than the recipe intended.  The flavor was fine, but once the galette cooled, the cheese became hard.  With more flour, I think they would have been softer, more shortbread-like.  (Could the cheese go under the apples, or would the oil cause havoc with the crust?)  It was fine, though, once rewarmed.

Conclusion:  I liked this more once I'd gotten over the initial disappointment when my expectation didn't meet reality.  This was definitely on the savory side, despite all the sugar. However, it might have been nicer made with slightly sweeter apples, or a combination.  The buckwheat added a nice flavor, but made the crust soft and a bit mealy, and gives it an unattractive hue.  The cheese, also, I find unattractive, especially after cooling.  Very tasty with a dollop of sour cream.

Recipe:  Buckwheat Galette with Apples, Cheddar, and Sage via Food52