Although this is not a free tool, you can invest in it if you regularly read and write from APFS formatted drives through Windows. It supports APFS formatted SSD’s, HDD’s and flash drives. If you want to read and write files to APFS formatted drives, then this tool is a good choice. Option 2: APFS for Windows by Paragon.
If you want to downgrade from your macOS Big Sur to Mac Catalina, erasing is the main part of the process. If you are wondering about the complexity of erasing macOS 11 from your Mac’s hard drive, then you are right to worry since Windows is much easier to handle.