It’s been a while since I shared a bread recipe – this one is for a fig, walnut and blue cheese loaf. It’s a recipe I devised myself and the resulting loaf is a great accompaniment to a cheese board or ploughman’s lunch.
Cakes & Bakes: Fig, walnut and blue cheese loaf
Ingredients
- 175 g/6oz sourdough starter recently refreshed
- 250 g/9oz tepid water
- 325 g/11½oz strong white flour
- 75 g/2½oz wholemeal flour
- 125 g/4½oz figs chopped
- 50 g/1¾oz chopped walnuts
- 5 g/1tsp sea salt
- 50 g/1¾oz blue cheese cubed (something like a Dolcelatte, Gorgonzola or Roquefort)
Instructions
- Mix the starter and water in a large mixing bowl
- Add the white and wholemeal flours and combine until there are no lumps
- Fold in the figs, walnuts and sea salt until mixed evenly throughout the dough
- In the bowl, knead the dough gently for 10 seconds
- Leave to rest for 10 minutes
- Repeat this kneading & resting process another 3 times
- Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or cling film and leave the dough in a warm place to prove for an hour and a half to 2 hours
- Knock back and fold in the cubed blue cheese until mixed evenly throughout the dough
- Shape the dough into an oblong and put it into a 1kg-size banneton
- Cover and allow to prove in a warm place for 3-4 hours (I put my banneton into a large plastic bag which I reuse again & again, but you can get special elasticated, washable banneton covers)
- 20 minutes prior putting the loaf in to bake, preheat the oven to 240ºC/475ºF/Gas mark 9
- Put an empty, shallow baking tin onto the bottom shelf of the oven
- Fill a cup with water and leave on the side near the oven until you're ready to bake the loaf
- When proved, turn the loaf out gently onto a large greased baking tray
- Carefully score the top with a few diagonal cuts using a serrated knife or lame
- Put the loaf on the top shelf of the oven and carefully pour the cup of water into the baking tray on the lower shelf before closing the oven door
- After 10 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6
- Bake the loaf for a further 20-25 minutes
- Check that it's done by tapping the underside of the loaf - it should sound hollow
- If not, turn the oven off and leave the loaf in for another 5 minutes
- Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool on a large wire rack for at least 45 minutes before eating
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