Fougasse – focaccia with blue cheese and walnuts

Instructions focaccia with blue cheese and walnuts

• In a bowl mix water, sugar and dry yeast. Set aside for 5 – 10 minutes until foamy.
• In a second bowl mix flour and salt. Add oil and the yeast mixture. Mix well.
• Knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes or in an stand mixer with a dough hook until it becomes smooth and elastic. Create a ball and lay it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour or until it doubles the volume.
• The rising times are approximate, it can take more or less time depending on the temperature of the environment, the freshness of the yeast, the strength of the flour and other factors not related to the recipe.
• Deflate the dough, add the coarsely chopped walnuts and knead briefly. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the dough and make it flat with your hands, stretching it in a fairly uniform manner, to create a rectangle.
• Cover with a cotton cloth and set aside until puffed up (30 – 45 minutes). Garnish the fougasse with pieces of gorgonzola. Using sharp knife, make 3 diagonal slits on each side towards the center and slightly stretch out the cuts.
• Gently grease with olive oil and bake in a preheated oven at 220 °C for about 25 minutes or until the focaccia is golden.