Butternut Squash, Bacon, and Apple Casserole

Ingredients:

Filling

• 350 g thick slices of bacon
• 2 large purple onions, thinly sliced
• 900 g butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 cm cubes.
• 6 fresh sprigs of thyme, leaves only
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 large apples, such as Honeycrisp, cut into 1cm cubes.

Layered buns

• 2 cups premium flour + extra for work
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preparation:

1. Filling:

   
   Place the bacon in a large oven-safe skillet (I use a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven) and heat over medium heat. Cook, turning once, until crispy on both sides, about 7 minutes total. Remove from heat and transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess grease and cool slightly.
2. Pour off half the rendered fat from the pan, reserving just enough to coat the bottom. Add the onion and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin, thyme, a pinch of salt, a few turns of the black peppercorn grinder, and a few pinches of red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Add the wine and stock. Roughly chop the bacon and add it to the pan along with the apples. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the flaky buns.

3. Layered buns:

   
   Preheat oven to 220°C.
   
4. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it reaches the consistency of uncooked oatmeal. Fold in the cream until the dough comes together. Turn it out onto a floured work surface and, using your hands, pat it into a 2-cm-thick layer. Then, cut out round loaves, reshaping the dough from scraps and cutting out the dough as needed.
5. Turn off the heat and top the filling with the dough circles. Brush the dough with a beaten egg and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bake until the buns are golden and flaky, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve straight from the pan!