Goats cheese Foccacia Wil Studd

Styling by Julia Ostro

Goats Cheese and Potato Focaccia with Le Marquis Chèvre du Pélussin

Julia Ostro created this recipe for Will based on a traditional Italian foccacia.

Serves:

4 - 6

Prep Time:

45min

Cook Time:

45min

Rest Time:

90min

Cuisine:

Mediterranean, French, Italian

Focaccia Barese hailing from Puglia in Italy’s south has the most wonderful texture thanks to mashed potato in the dough. Usually topped with dried herbs, olives and cherry tomatoes, here the delicious mild, almost lemony tang of the Le Marquis Chèvre du Pélussin, compliments the richness of the potatoes for a new take on a classic.

Ingredients:

  • 250g Le Marquis Chèvre du Pélussin
  • 150g waxy potatoes
  • 200g semolina flour (semola)
  • 300g 00 flour
  • 5g dry active yeast
  • 10g fine sea salt
  • 350ml warm water
  • Extra virgin olive, for greasing plus extra for topping
  • 300g waxy potatoes, thinly sliced (to top)
  • Rosemary, for garnish

Method:

  1. Peel and roughly chop the potato. Place in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook until very tender. Mash with the back of a fork and set aside to cool a little.
  2. Combine the flours, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add in the potato and stream in the warm water. Increase the speed to high and mix for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Alternatively mix by hand then turn out to a floured board and knead until smooth. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and set aside to rise in a warm space for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  3. Preheat oven to 225℃ | 450℉
  4. Grease a large baking tray olive oil (or alternatively line a tray with greaseproof paper and brush with oil) and using your hands or a pastry scraper, tip the dough from the bowl onto the oiled tray. Using your fingers, gently spread the dough towards the corners of the tray. Allow to rise in a warm place for a further 30-45 minutes.
  5. Dot pieces of the cheese onto the dough and top with the thinly sliced potatoes. Drizzle the focaccia with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Scatter with rosemary and serve. The focaccia is best eaten on the same day.