Gorgonzola and Speck Focaccia Pizza

Gorgonzola and Speck Focaccia-11

This Focaccia Pizza is easy to make, has a slightly thicker base than a pizza and is a great way to feed a crowd.  You don’t need to worry about making it a perfect shape, I like to let the dough ‘shape itself’ whether a square bottom and a rounded top or whatever funny shape it may wish to be just let it be.

Gorgonzola and Speck Focaccia

I like to use fresh yeast which is easily available in our local supermarket, I know that it is not always easy to get.  When I went back home in South Africa for a holiday they did not sell it in the fridges however, I went and asked at the bakery counter if they had some at the back, they did have and they were very happy to sell me a little bit.

Gorgonzola and Speck Focaccia-2

The dough makes one large focaccia or two smaller ones.  For this recipe I made one focaccia pizza.

Focaccia Pizza Dough

Recipes of My Art

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g strong flour or 00 flour
  • 10 g salt
  • 15 g fresh yeast or 10g Instant yeast
  • 40 ml olive oil plus a little extra for greasing
  • 300 ml tepid water

Instructions
 

  • Lightly oil a large mixing bowl and put to one side.
  • Mix the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the Instant yeast to the flour. If using fresh yeast dissolve it in your tepid water. Add the olive oil to the the flour and pour in the tepid water. Using your fingers mix the ingredients together until all the water and flour have come together. Shape the ingredients into a ball.
  • Place the dough on the counter top and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be soft to the touch but if it is really sticky add a little bit of flour.
  • If the dough bounces back to the touch it is ready, if not knead some more.
  • Place the dough in your lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel.
  • Leave to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

 

Gorgonzola and Speck Focaccia-5

For this recipe I only let it prove once so be careful when you are handling the dough.  Gently take the dough out of the bowl, it should also be able to slide a little bit due to the oil that was put in the bowl.

Gorgonzola and speck Focaccia-6 Gorgonzola and speck Focaccia-7

To shape the dough I gently push it out a bit with my finger tips and then I lift it up, using the the weight of the dough I let it stretch itself and then lay it on my baking tray.

I like to cook the Focaccia Pizza on an oven tray that came with the oven, as I find it the perfect size but there is nothing wrong with making it on a smaller tray it will just result in you dough being thicker.

Gorgonzola and speck Focaccia-8

Once your dough has doubled in size you are ready to start making your Focaccia Pizza.

Focaccia Pizza Ingredients:

Focaccia dough (from above)
100g Emmental
50g Speck
160g Gorgonzola
3 Tablespoons Mascarpone
8 Walnuts
Black pepper
Oil and Semolina  (this is to coat the bottom of the tray)

Preheat your oven to 220°C
Lightly oil your baking tray and then pour over some semolina so it lightly coats all the tray (you can shake the tray to move it around).
Stretch out your dough buy pushing it down with your fingers and using the weight of the doughs then place it onto your tray, if needed continue to push the dough out with your fingertips until you get the required size (be gentle with the dough as it will only prove once).
Scatter over the Emmental, gorgonzola, mascarpone and walnuts then place the speck on top and add some freshly ground pepper.
Cook for about 20 minutes or until it has cooked through.  I like to place mine right at the bottom of the oven for half the time and then move it up higher for the remaining time as this allows the base to cook.
Allow to cool slightly and then enjoy.

Gorgonzola and Speck Focaccia-10

 


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