Walnut Fougasse Or Focaccia Recipes

WALNUT FOUGASSE OR FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Add the walnut oil, whole wheat flour, 200 grams of the all-purpose or bread flour and salt and mix together briefly using the paddle attachment. Change to the dough hook and beat for 8 to 10 minutes at medium speed, adding the remaining flour as necessary. The dough should eventually form a ball around the dough hook and slap against the sides of the bowl as the mixer turns but it will be sticky. Remove from the bowl, flour your hands and knead for a minute on a lightly floured surface, and shape into a ball.
• If kneading the dough by hand, dissolve the yeast in the water with the sugar as directed. Stir in the walnut oil, whole wheat flour, salt, and all-purpose flour by the half-cup, until the dough can be scraped out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, for 10 minutes, until the dough is elastic. Shape into a ball.
• Clean and dry your bowl and oil lightly with olive oil. Place the dough in it, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover tightly with plastic and let rise in a warm spot for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours, until doubled.
• Punch down the dough. A handful at a time, knead the walnuts into the dough, until they are evenly distributed. Divide the dough into two equal pieces for smaller breads, or make one large focaccia or fougasse (see instructions below). Cover with lightly oiled plastic and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, preferably with a baking stone in it. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and oil the parchment. Roll or press out each piece of dough into an oval or rectangle measuring about 9 by 7 inches. To do this efficiently, roll the dough, stop and wait 5 minutes for the gluten to relax, then roll again, and repeat until the dough reaches the right size. For fougasse, using a paring knife, make an incision down the center of the oval or rectangle, starting about 2 inches in from the top and ending 2 inches from the bottom. Make 3 diagonal slashes out from the center of the bread towards the edge, leaving about an inch of dough on either side of the center incision. The incisions should resemble the veins of a leaf. Leave a 2-inch border at the edge of the dough. Transfer the loaves to the baking sheets. Gently pull the bread apart at the slashes. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and a towel, and let rest for 30 minutes. For focaccia, roll or press out the dough and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Just before baking, use your fingertips to dimple the dough all over, and if desired drizzle on a tablespoon of olive oil.
• One at a time, bake the breads on top of the baking stone for 20 to 25 minutes, until deep golden brown. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving, or allow to cool completely.

GORGONZOLA AND WALNUT FOUGASSE

Steps:

• Place a baking stone in the middle of the oven and preheat to 470 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces with a bench scraper.
• Using your fingertips, flatten the dough pieces. Transfer 1 of the pieces to the back of a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly dusted with cornmeal. Cover generously with walnuts and Gorgonzola and top with another piece of dough. Press down on the edges to seal. Using a small palette knife, cut 8 evenly spaced holes in the dough. Stretch the dough to enlarge the holes. Lightly brush the fougasse with olive oil and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Place the loaf in a warm place and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat to make 1 more loaf.
• Working with 1 loaf a time, slide the fougasse, still on the parchment paper, onto the baking stone. Bake until crispy and brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the fougasse to a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining loaf.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the pate fermentee and water and, using your hands, break up the dough into the water.
• In another bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pate fermentee mixture and mix by hand until firm and cohesive, about 3 minutes. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until very elastic and smooth, about 10 to 15 minutes. Take the dough's temperature. It should be at 78 degrees F.
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap (the plastic should not touch the dough). Place the bowl in a warm place (about 75 to 78 degrees F.) and let rise for a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes. After the first 45 minutes, fold the dough and turn it over in the bowl. (It will somewhat deflate the dough, but it is gentler than what's commonly referred to as "punching down.")
• Let the dough rise, undisturbed, for 1 hour more. (The dough will rise considerably at this point.)
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press the dough gently into a rectangle, to degas it.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and, using your hands, mix until incorporated, about 3 minutes. (Alternatively, mix in a mixer on the lowest setting possible.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place (about 75 degrees F.). Let the dough ferment for 1 hour. Take the dough's temperature. It should be at 75 degrees F.
• Refrigerate the dough at least 10 hours and up to 36 hours. When ready, it will be roughly doubled in size and have a fine network of filaments and holes. Make this recipe the night before you mix the dough.