BRAID WITH POTATOES, GORGONZOLA AND WALNUTS

I often make this braid when I have guests over for dinner. It's definitely impressive! I've made many of them and almost always varied the fillings based on my dinner guests: with salmon and avocado, spinach and ricotta, cooked ham and fontina, cabbage and gorgonzola, radicchio and taleggio... You can go wild with your favorite fillings...

The one I'm sharing today is one of my favorites: potatoes, gorgonzola, and walnuts... who doesn't love them? It takes a bit of time to make, but if you plan ahead, you'll arrive at aperitivo time with a dish baking in the oven and the kitchen already tidy to welcome your guests. I usually make the dough the night before and let it rise overnight. The next morning, I prepare the filling and stuff my plait, giving it plenty of time to rise again. After that, all that's left to do is think about how to set your table.

This braid is also a perfect picnic dish; you can easily prepare it the night before and it will still be soft in the morning if kept covered with a tea towel.

• 600 g of Senatore Cappelli semolina
• 1 cube of yeast
• 200 g of water
• 100 g of milk
• 10 g of sugar
• 15 g of salt
• 50 g of extra virgin olive oil

• 50 g of shelled walnuts
• 3 potatoes
• 200g of gorgonzola

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oil, and salt. In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and sugar. Stir the yeast into the flour, adding the water as well. Knead well for at least 10 minutes, until you have a smooth dough. Let it rest in a bowl until it doubles in size. I usually prepare the dough the night before and let it rise overnight (photo 1).

Cook the potatoes in salted water until they're tender when pierced with a fork. Dice the gorgonzola and roughly chop the walnuts.

Once your dough is ready, flour your work surface and roll it out into a rectangle. Arrange your filling in the center, proceeding in this order: potatoes, gorgonzola, and finally the walnuts (photo 2).

Using a sharp knife, cut diagonally across the pastry that is free of filling, making cuts about 5 centimetres apart (photo 3).

Now it's time to form the braid: take a flap of dough on the right and, passing it over the filling, seal it on the opposite side on the left. Do the same with the dough on the left, passing it over the filling and sealing it on the right (photo 4). Continue in this manner until you have completely formed your braid (photo 5).

Let it rise covered with a cloth for a few hours. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Before baking, brush your braid with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with fresh rosemary and coarse salt (photo 6).

Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until golden brown on top.

For any further clarification or doubt about this recipe, you can write to me at penninonsolodolci .