Weekend bread adventure: Gorgonzola Fougasse With Figs and Pecans (fail w/pix)

M

mariadnoca

Moderator
Let me just say that had I not screwed this up, it would be SOOOO good and if you are one of the bread bakers here I'd say you should put it on your must try list. I know because of the baked on crust I ate off the cover, but let me tell you how that started.

Everything went fine at first. It did. Really. Oh yeah, it just toyed with me thinking, this will be a no brainer and I really want some, so I'll even bake during a heat wave...because: look at the pay-off. (Hehehehee, yeaaah right)

It was all good until once I was getting ready to bake...then I became pretty darn sure my roasting pan cover was not going to fit over my fat xmas tree looking bread. My thought was, oh well, it's no big deal if I don't get the perfect steam, it'll still be good. (soooo naive)

Because when I took the roasting pan off, it stuck to the bread in the wide spots. I hadn't thought of that and....good gawd almighty: the fight was ON! The bread got torn to pieces because of it it was a thrashing lets stick to the cover, no! lets stick to the parchment, no! lets stick to both!!!! all the while the oven at near 500F was breathing...come here little girl, come here let me touch you with FIRE..., but the brown bits stuck to the edges of the cover were oh so GOOD!!!

Think of what's to come, my goodness that's so good I don't even care if it's not pretty. Pretty be damed! I'm gonna eat it all!

Or so I thought.

Well, once it was out...color me sorely disappointed. The recipe said 10 mins or so without steam (after cover comes off). I went for 8 and checked...and it's burnt. BTW, I do have a therm in my oven and it runs dead on. I never burn cookies, cakes, etc.

All day waiting...for nothing. Some parts I bet I can eat, but they will be very crisp vs. chewy and cheese-y.

All day waiting...for nothing. And now the house is all hot too. And nothing to eat with wine, or sangria, or all the fun things I was gonna do when I gathered the neighbors out front to drink and eat with me given there is no more Game of Thrones or Good Wife.

:::very sad face::

People, this is the red wedding of bread. smileys/frown.gif

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy163/4ebay_bucket/Food/Bread/Gorgonzola%20Fougasse%20Bread%20With%20Figs%20and%20Pecans/IMG_2705_zpsf09feef8.jpg

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy163/4ebay_bucket/Food/Bread/Gorgonzola%20Fougasse%20Bread%20With%20Figs%20and%20Pecans/IMG_2706_zpsae4aad27.jpg

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy163/4ebay_bucket/Food/Bread/Gorgonzola%20Fougasse%20Bread%20With%20Figs%20and%20Pecans/IMG_2707_zpsb18aaff9.jpg

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy163/4ebay_bucket/Food/Bread/Gorgonzola%20Fougasse%20Bread%20With%20Figs%20and%20Pecans/IMG_2708_zpsd7fc3022.jpg

(Now go to the link and see how pretty it should look!)

Gorgonzola Fougasse Bread With Figs and Pecans

Yield: 1200 g (2 large fougasses)

Time:

• Mix: 45 minutes

• First fermentation : 2.5 hours with a fold at 1 hour

• Shape: 10 minutes

• Proof: 2.5 – 3 hours

• Bake: 15 – 20 minutes per fougasse

Desired dough temperature: 74F

Ingredients:

• 385 g flour

• 89 g whole rye flour

• 261 g water

• 237 g mature 100%-hydration sourdough starter

• 12.5 g (2 t.) salt

• 30 g (2 T.) olive oil, plus more for brushing

• 117 g firm Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled into half-inch chunks

• 67 g pecan halves, very coarsely chopped

• 67 g dried figs, quartered (soak in hot water to soften if they are very dry)

Method:

1. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, rye flour, water, and starter. Mix in low speed until the ingredients just form a shaggy mass. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

2. Add the salt and olive oil and mix in low speed until just combined. Continue mixing in medium speed to a medium level of gluten development. This will probably take less than five minutes, but will depend on your mixer.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured counter. Flatten it out and place the cheese, figs, and pecans on the dough. Fold the dough over so the add-ins are enclosed inside, and continue folding gently until they are evenly mixed into the dough.

4. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container. Cover and ferment for 2.5 hours, with a fold after the first hour.

5. Turn the dough into a lightly floured counter and divide it into two pieces. To shape each fougasse:

6. Place the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and pat/stretch it into a roughly trangular shape about 12 inches across at the base and 16 inches tall. Use a dough scraper to make cuts in the dough as shown, and widen the cut spaces with your fingers.

7. Proof, covered, for 2.5 – 3 hours (bake the first one at 2.5 hours so the second will have proofed for almost 3 hours).

8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven, with baking stone, to 495F. You will also need steam during the initial phase of baking, so prepare for this now.

9. Just before baking, brush the dough lightly with olive oil.

10. Once the fougasse is in the oven, reduce the temperature to 470F. Bake for 8 minutes with steam, and another 10 minutes or so without steam, until the crust is crisp and brown and the cheese is bubbly.

11. Cool on a wire rack.

http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2009/01/15/gorgonzola-fougasse-with-figs-and-pecans/

 
but you know, it seems to me that the photo in the link shows a fougasse that is browner than any

I've seen and with all that open-work slashing (also more than I usually see) it would take just a moment to bake. Don't you think so?

It does look delicious though and I hope you venture out to it again. What exceptional combinations!!

 
I agree. And I will bake it again very, very soon. Maybe even this week.

I won't shape it like a tree though, lol.

It's all a process of learning.

 
you are very adventurous

While I try new breads occasionally, I tend to stick with a half dozen or so favorites. I have used the Tartine country dough to make a foccacia and topped it with a variety of things, eg. grapes and gorgonzola.

 
I've had failures, but would not call yours exactly a failure....

because it does look pretty good to me.

but I know it's not what you expected - ok, I must also say that for fougasse and focaccia type breads, the steam thing is not that important - I never worry about using the inverted roasting pan on a bread that will be pretty much on the flat side and where the ratio crust to crumb is not the same as for a large round or oblong loaf. I bake those types of bread without any concern about steam. Especially with the gorgonzola cheese and the fig (high sugar), I think covering the bread during baking is not necessary

having said all that... I think you should be super proud of yourself!

 
Maria, I've been baking bread for yrs, but you have long since left me in the dust re the

difficult & varied types you've been attempting. I doubt you'll find anyone who hasn't had some type bread issue--even an experienced bread baker when trying something radically different, and I'd say you are tackling lots of new bread types.

Aside: Maria, weren't you the one who had some type fairly recent injury? Sprained ankle or wrist or fall? I cannot remember the particulars. If yes, are you all healed from that? If U posted an update already, point in its direction as I've missed it.

 
I am sure it tastes yummy! I admire how you keep trying new bread techniques / recipes.... It

looks like it would taste fabulous. (Although pic number 3 has me a lil freaked out... Looks like an alien eye)

MMMmmm the bread sounds yummy and sure it tastes fabulous!!!

 
That's good to know...the recipe called for steam, but as you mentioned

I really didn't see it made a difference. So next time I won't worry about it.

It was just so disappointing putting in 6 hours for bread and then doing something dumb like burn it. I think the cheese must've evaporated as there wasn't any cheese taste in the burnt bread at all, but the chunks that stuck to the rim of the roasting pan I pulled off were fantastic.

 
This is true, with every miss I learn something more...

Though I haven't had any big misses. I tried a yeast challah that didn't rise, but think it was the temp/late evening that caused the problem. Last week I decided to overnight one that I think I let go too long in the fridge, or that I sat it in the sun to rise on what I thought was a mild day, so in the end it kinda over proofed I guess because it didn't have the oven spring I'm use to.

I keep learning!

 
Yes, 'twas I who fell down and went boom...

I spend all last summer and fall stuck in the house either in bed or in my trusty wheelchair to get me to the bathroom and kitchen as I broke one ankle and tore up the other.

I'm doing much better, I'm up and around on my own, but I still have flex problems and am weaker than normal from being bedridden, but I'm slowly working on it - thanks for asking!

This was my holiday card last year:

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy163/4ebay_bucket/personal/xmas2013_zpscdec0954.jpg

 
I keep trying because I haven't hit on *the one* yet, plus it's fun to try given I was so "scared"

of trying bread or anything with yeast for so long. It's like a whole new baking world!

 
Oh Maria, that is an awesome picture!

I know it's not funny, and I am glad you are getting around better. the flexibility part sure does take forever! I'm back in the boot and not walking again, trusty scooter to the rescue! When we are both back on our feet we need to have a little get together, where we are wearing real shoes!!! LOL Glad you're baking though, keep at it!

 
would this be a time where throwing a few icecubes into the oven would create enough steam for

a flat bread?

 
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