Filoncini with Cheese - Italian Rustic Baguettes

How to prepare filoncini with cheese - italian rustic baguettes

1. In a cup, dissolve the yeast together with the sugar in 75 g of lukewarm water. Cover and leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until it foams on top.
2. In a large bowl, add the flour and mix with the salt. Make a crater in the center and add the yeast mixture from step 1, the remaining lukewarm water, and the oil. Mix with a spoon until all the flour is fully absorbed. At the end, knead a few times by hand, just enough for the dough to come together. The result will be a soft, very sticky dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.
3. With wet hands, perform 4 stretch and folds of the dough directly in the bowl: grab the dough from the side opposite to you, pull it up and fold it over the dough in the bowl (essentially folding it in half). Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the stretch/fold. Do this two more times at 90 degrees to complete all 4 stretches.
   * find a video of the 4 stretches here
4. Cover the bowl again and let it rise for another 15 minutes. Repeat the stretching one more time followed by 15 minutes of rising.
5. Cut the cheese into small cubes.
6. After the second stretch, dust the work surface generously with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Flatten gently with your hand to form a rectangle. Scatter 2/3 of the cheese cubes over the dough. Fold the dough toward the center. Flatten again gently and scatter the remaining cheese. Roll the dough along its long side (from the side opposite to where you made the folds).
8. Place the resulting roll back in the bowl and let it rise for 1-1.5 hours (1 hour if the temperature is around 26-28°C or 1.5 hours if the temperature is lower, around 24-26°C).
9. Sprinkle plenty of cornmeal on the work surface, as the dough is sticky. Gently turn the dough out of the bowl onto the cornmeal. Carefully flip it so the cornmeal side is on top. Stretch the dough by hand to form a rectangle.
10. With a dough cutter, cut strips across the width of the rectangle. Cut the strips as thick as you like: if you cut 12 pieces (thinner strips) you will get crispier filoncini, almost like breadsticks; if you cut 7 strips you will get filoncini similar to baguettes, with a soft interior and crispy crust.
11. Gently roll each strip on the surface to coat it with cornmeal all over. Transfer the strips to a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spacing them apart. If you cut thin strips you will need 2 trays; if you formed baguettes, one tray is enough.
12. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 230°C.
14. Bake the baguettes for 20-25 minutes, until pleasantly golden. In some places the cheese will burst out of the dough during baking — that's perfectly fine.
15. Let them cool for 15 minutes, then they can be served. They are best on the first day, but the interior stays soft for 2 more days. Store them covered.

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