Butternut Squash, Pear and Gorgonzola Flatbread Tart

Bread Base

  • 250g strong white bread flour
  • 25g fresh yeast
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 150ml cold water
  • a few drops good-quality olive oil

Topping

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 3 firm pears (my preference is Comice or Conference)
  • 150g Gorgonzola
  • plain flour, for dusting
  • good-quality olive oil
  • a few sprigs thyme
  • 1 x 100g bag rocket salad (mixed leaves with rocket)

Serves 10 children.

Make the bread base with the ingredients above

Peel and thinly slice the butternut squash, discarding the seeds and stringy pulp from the centre. Dice 2 of the pears and thinly slice the third. Thinly slice the cheese.

Lightly grease a large AGA frying pan with olive oil.Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.

2, 3, 4 and 5 oven AGA: Bake on the oven grid shelf placed on the floor of the Roasting Oven.

Roll out the bread dough on a floured surface to a rough disc that is about 1cm thick (this will take some time but persistence will give results). Lay a small amount of the cheese all around the dough, just inside the edge, then fold the edge over to create a border with the cheese inside.

Lay the dough in the frying pan. Arrange the squash, diced and sliced pears and the remaining cheese all over the dough, then dust with flour and drizzle with olive oil. Push the thyme sprigs into the dough, just around the edge.

Now leave the tart to stand in a warm place for 20 minutes to allow the dough to prove slightly.

Bake the tart for 35 minutes, or until the middle is cooked. You can tell it’s done when it comes away easily from the centre of the pan

Leave the tart to cool slightly, then drizzle the salad with olive oil and scatter over the tart. Cut into pieces to serve.