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Pear and Walnut Autumn Fougasse

Ingredients

250 grams strong white bread flour
150 ml warm water
45 ml olive oil plus more for drizzling
30 grams Parmesan finely grated
5 grams salt
20grams fresh yeast
60grams 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

Method

Add flour, salt, chopped rosemary in a bowl, then add the yeast to one side of the bowl (not near the salt)and rub it into the flour,

Add the oil and Parmesan and start pouring in the water and mix until you have a wetsticky dough.

Knead for 5 minutes 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 fougasse - you need a very large tray. But you could divide it into two smaller fougasse.)

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. 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, then grate over some Parmesan. 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.