A caramelized onion, sage and butternut squash galette—built on a sour cream dough the author says comes together reliably—has been refreshed with new photographs in 2024, according to a note accompanying the recipe. The original 2007 image was kept for nostalgia.
The free-form tart, which the author describes as weightier than a tomato tart and lighter than a mushroom quiche, roasts a small butternut squash at 375°F for about 30 minutes while onions caramelize in butter over low heat for roughly 20 minutes. The two are combined with fontina cheese and chopped sage or thyme, then baked at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes.
The recipe follows an earlier wild mushroom and stilton galette the author posted, and the stated motivation for the new filling was not dissatisfaction with the old one but an obsession with the galette dough. The author describes the dough as stretchy, smooth, dense and cold but never brittle, and suggests using it for sweetened apples, whole cranberries, coarse sugar or empanadas.
The post opens with a personal account of driving upstate for a fall weekend at a bed-and-breakfast where a man named Richard makes amaretto-brushed French toast on Sundays. The author notes that predicting peak fall color is difficult: one year felt a week late, the next a week early, and an 80-degree October was cited as a factor. The recipe itself emerged from a weekend of brainstorming, with the author arriving home at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday after a business trip.
What the recipe calls for
The dough uses 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and 1/4 cup ice water. The filling calls for a small butternut squash, olive oil, 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, a large onion, salt, a pinch of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 3/4 cup fontina cheese and 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or thyme.
How it comes together
Peel and dice the squash, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast on a foil-lined sheet until tender, turning midway if the oven bakes unevenly. While it roasts, cook the sliced onion in butter over low heat with salt and sugar until soft and lightly golden, then stir in cayenne. Mix the squash, onions, cheese and herbs on a large plate and let cool to room temperature.
Raise the oven to 400°F. Roll the dough into a 12-inch round on a floured surface, transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and spread the filling over it, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the filling, pleating as needed, leaving the center open. Bake until golden brown, let stand five minutes, then slide onto a serving plate. The recipe yields 6 to 8 servings and lists a total time of 2 hours.
Editorial Notes