Description
This Sourdough Fig Walnut Flatbread is made with a soft and slightly sticky, naturally leavened dough. The flatbread dough, which is flavored with chopped fresh rosemary, and enriched with rosemary-infused olive oil, and potato water, is very tasty in its own right. However, when you add the toppings – wine-soaked dried figs, caramelized onions flavored with orange zest, and toasted walnuts – it’s over the top with deliciousness.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dough
- 55 grams / 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3–4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 100 grams / 1/2 cup sourdough starter, 100% hydration, fed and active
- 240 grams / 2 cups unbleached KAF all-purpose flour
- 2 sprigs (1-2 teaspoons) coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
- 120 grams / 1/2 cup potato water (110 degrees F)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + 10–20 grams water for sprinkling
Topping
- 6 to 8 dried figs, sliced (I used 12 dried Brown Turkey figs)
- 2/3 cup Marsala wine (I used cooking wine)
- 2–3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick vertical slices
- 12 grams / 1 tablespoon sugar
- Zest of one small or medium orange
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 75 grams / 3/4 cup walnut halves
Instructions
Day 1 – Feed your sourdough starter
Day 2 – Steep the rosemary, cook the potato and prepare the dough
- In a small saucepan, warm the olive oil and rosemary. Remove from the heat and let cool for I hour. Discard the rosemary sprigs. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the room temperature sourdough starter and warm potato water. Then add the flour, rosemary olive oil, and chopped rosemary. Hold the salt. Mix thoroughly until there are no dry bits of flour.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Add the salt and 10-20 grams of water as needed, and using your fingers, work the salt into the dough.
- Cover and allow the dough to rest for 2 hours, at warm room temperature. Stretch and fold the dough two times, every 30 minutes the first hour, then let the dough rest the 2nd hour.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and let it cold ferment overnight in the refrigerator.
Day 3 – Prepare the toppings, bake the flatbread
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up to room temperature, about 2 hours.
- In the meantime, prepare the toppings.
- Place the figs and Marsala in a small saucepan, and heat over medium heat until the Marsala bubbles around the edges, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour.
- Heat the 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft, 15-20 minutes. Add the orange zest, season with salt and pepper, stir thoroughly, and set aside to cool.
- Place a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of the oven, and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F for 30 minutes.
- Form the dough into a round ball. Let it rest for 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to form a 9×12-inch oval, 1/2-inch thick. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, or a well-floured pizza peel.
- Drain the figs and distribute the figs, onions, and walnuts evenly over the dough. Lightly press them into the dough. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes, or more, if needed.
- Then transfer the flatbread to the pizza stone and bake until golden brown and crispy, 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
After baking, the focaccia seemed a little bit moist due to the toppings. Par baking it for 2-3 minutes before adding the toppings, like you do with pizza, might help.
Adapted from Joanne Weir’s More Cooking in the Wine Country cookbook
- Category: Flatbread