Fig & Pear Focaccia Bread with Manchego Cheese & Honey

Makes: 1 large focaccia bread

Cooks: Bread baking or CircoTherm® 200°C with low added steam for 22-25 minutes. Use Dough proving for faster results.

Prep: 25 mins plus proving time.

Bread:

500g strong white bread flour

1 tsp salt

7g sachet instant easy bake yeast

140ml olive oil

360ml tepid water

1 tbsp semolina

1 Comice pear, cored and sliced

3 figs, thickly sliced

100g Manchego cheese, cubed

½ tsp Maldon salt flakes

To serve:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsps honey

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

*Allergens highlighted in bold

Lightly grease a large square/rectangular casserole dish (you need this dish to prove the dough in, whilst keeping the shape).

Place the flour, salt, yeast, 3 tbsp of the olive oil and 280 ml of the water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the kneading hook, knead for 30 seconds, then slowly add in more water until just combined (you might not need all the water).

Knead for 5 minutes at medium speed (you could hand-knead for 5-10 minutes it if you prefer, although this is a very sticky dough, so it’s more difficult to hand knead).

Transfer the dough to the prepared dish and place in the oven on the dough proving setting for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a large rectangular metal baking tray (approx. 26cm x 35cm) with baking parchment and brush it with 1 tbsp of the olive oil.

Drizzle the work surface with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and transfer the dough to the work surface. Carefully reshape the dough, stretching it to be roughly the size of the baking tray and fairly flat (try to keep as much air in a possible, we’re not looking to knock the air out for this bread).

Transfer the dough carefully to the prepared tray (it will be sticky, so oil your hands first). Sprinkle with the semolina and place back in the oven on the dough proving setting to prove for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Dip your fingers in the olive oil and push holes into the bread dough all over.

Arrange the pear and fig slices and the Manchego cubes on top of the dough, pushing them in slightly.

Drizzle on the remaining oil and sprinkle on the salt. Place in the oven and turn the oven to CircoTherm® 200°C* with low added steam for 22-25 minutes, until golden (placing in a cold oven gives the dough a little extra proving time whilst the oven is heating up).

*If your oven has a bread baking function, you can use that if you prefer - for a slightly crustier version.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle with honey and a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.