Apple galette with buckwheat and honeycomb

Buckwheat flour, made from buckwheat groats, is nutty and pleasantly bitter. It can be overpowering, though, so I like to balance it with plenty of all-purpose flour. Buckwheat flour also happens to be gluten-free, so the all-purpose flour is essential to create structure in the dough.

Until very recently, I didn’t know that you could eat honeycomb. You can, and you should! I like the crisp edges the best. The honeycomb sets off the tart apples and earthy buckwheat crust with a welcome sweetness for fall baking. It looks lovely, too.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

• PASTRY
• 1 ¼ cups (170 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for the parchment
• ½ cup (69 grams) grams buckwheat flour
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks; 141 grams) cold butter, cut into pieces
• 4 to 6 tablespoons (60 to 90 grams) ice water
• FILLING
• 3 large crisp, tart apples, such as Pink Lady or Granny Smith, cored, and very thinly sliced (600 grams)
• ⅓ cup (67 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• TO FINISH
• 1 large (50 grams) egg, lightly beaten, for brushing
• Sanding sugar for sprinkling (optional)
• 2 tablespoons (¼ stick; 28 grams) butter, cut into small pieces
• TO SERVE
• Honeycomb, broken into pieces
• Buckwheat groats, toasted
• Whipped cream

Method

• PREPARE THE PASTRY
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, with some larger pieces. (You can make buckwheat flour by blending buckwheat groats in a high-speed blender until finely ground.)
• Add 4 tablespoons water and pulse until the dough is evenly moistened and holds together when you squeeze a clump in your fingers. If necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons more water a teaspoon at a time, and pulse again, but stop before the dough becomes too wet.
• Tip the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and use the edges of the plastic to bring it together. Form it into a disk, wrap it well, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Freeze for up to 1 month.
• PREPARE THE FILLING
• In a large bowl, toss together the apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon, being careful not to break the apple slices. (For pretty slices and minimal work, slice each apple from top to bottom squarely around the core to remove the flesh in four chunks. Then cut each one into thin slices.)
• Roll the dough out ⅛ to ¼ inch thick on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper. Any shape is fine. Arrange the apples and any accumulated juice in the center, leaving at least a 1 ½-inch border all around.
• Fold the edges of the dough up over the edges of the apples. Slide the galette, still on the paper, onto a baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Transfer the galette, still on the paper, to a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using.
• Top the apples with the cold butter pieces. Bake the galette until the crust is golden brown, the apples are tender, and the juices are bubbling, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve the galette warm or at room temperature, topped with pieces of honeycomb and toasted buckwheat groats, with whipped cream alongside. The galette is best the day it’s made.

We spoke to Sam Seneviratne about why she loves shopping at the farmstand at this time of year and why this (amongst others) is one of her favorite farmstand fall baking recipes.