leaf fougasse pear parmesan and walnut
fougasse with pear, parmesan walnut and rosemary shaped like an autumn leaf
Ingredients
- 250 grams strong bread flour
- 150 ml warm water (warm to the touch not scalding)
- 45 ml olive oil (2 1/2 tbsp) plus more for drizzling
- 30 grams Parmesan finely grated
- 5 grams salt
- 7g sachet of fast action yeast
- 60 g finely chopped pear (half a large pear) keep other half to slice for top
- 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 30 grams walnuts chopped
- semolina for dusting
- flaked salt
Instructions
- Add flour, salt, chopped rosemary in a bowl, then add the sachet of yeast to one side of the bowl, (not near the salt)
- Add the oil and Parmesan and start pouring in the water and mix until you have a wet sticky dough. it will be very wet and seem hard to work with by hand so use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- knead for 5 minutes at a high speed until the dough is less sticky and the gluten starts to form.
- add the walnuts and chopped pear and knead for another 2 to 4 minutes. the dough should be wet but stretchy. you can add 1 tbsp more flour if it is too wet after adding the pear
- drizzle oil in a bowl (about 2 tbsp) then place the dough in it and cover with cling film and leave to double in size in a warm draft free place.
- once doubled in size. line a really large baking tray with non stick baking paper and sprinkle over some semolina. (this recipe makes one large loaf- you need a very large tray)
- gently tip the dough out of the bowl onto the paper being careful not to knock any air out.
- pull the dough into a flat circle, then using some sharp scissors or a knife cut two slits at the edge of the top of the dough, like a paw print. then pull the dough into a leaf shape.add two more cuts at the bottom of the loaf and then add slits in the middle of the dough.
- leave to rise again for one hour.
- preheat oven to 180c
- thinly slice the remaining half of pear and place slices on to the dough, the grate over some Parmesan, and sprinkle on some semolina and flaked salt and add some rosemary sprigs
- place bread in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. then cover the pointed ends with foil so they don't burn and bake for another 10 minutes.