500gfresh pumpkin or butternut squashfor 220g cooked pumpkin
1tspsalt
1/4/tspground nutmeg
50ggrated Gruyere or other hard cheese
60gchopped pecannuts or walnuts
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200 oC.
Clean the pumpkin from seeds and cut into large chunks, skin on. The skin is easier to remove once the pieces are cooked.
In a bowl toss the pumpkin with olive oil, salt and pepper until all pieces are covered. Place them on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper or silicone mat and roast until tender and slightly browned, 30-40 minutes. The pieces need some space around them, otherwise they will boil, not roast. If your tray cannot hold them all together roast them in two batches. Let pieces cool down and remove the skins.
Puree in the blender or with a fork. You need 220g of pumpkin puree.
Combine water, yeast and sugar in a rage bowl. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Add 135g (1 cup ) flour and the melted butter to the yeast mixture and mix until it has been incorporated. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.
Add the pumpkin puree, salt and nutmeg to the risen flour mixture and stir until well combined. Add 300g (2 and 1/4 cups) flour and half of the cheese. Stir to incorporate then lightly knead in the bowl adding the rest of the flour (70g) little by little until you get an elastic soft and slightly sticky dough. Make the dough into a ball and brush with olive oil all over. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubles in size. To check doneness press two fingers on the dough and if indentation remains the dough is ready.
Cover a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper and sprinkle some flour on it. Shape the focaccia into a rectangle using your hands (you might need to sprinkle some flour on it too) measuring approximately 30 x 35cm. Brush with some olive oil and sprinkle remaining cheese and walnuts on top pressing them lightly to adhere. Cover and let rise for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 oC and bake for 30 minutes or until the focaccia is browned on top and the cheese has melted. You might need to cover it with foil half way through so that it will not burn. Cool on a wire rack, slice and enjoy!