Fig and Walnut Toast with Bettelmatt Cheese

Name: Fig and Walnut Toast with Bettelmatt Cheese
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Rye flour 3 ½ cups; Manitoba flour 1 ¼ cup; Water 1.7 cups; Brewer's yeast ¾ tsp; Malt teaspoon 1; Fine salt 1.7 tsp; Walnut kernels 2.8 oz; Dried figs 6 oz; Bettelmatt cheese 6.5 oz; Butter to taste

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Vegetarian

Difficulty: Difficult
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Makes: 4
Cost: Average
Note + 4 hours of dough rising

PRESENTATION

This tasty dish comes straight from the beautiful mountain villages of Northern Italy—where they know how to put together a snack that feels both hearty and a bit special. Fig and walnut toast gets its unique character from the sturdy, nutty fruit and rye bread that folks in the Val d'Ossola area really appreciate. But what makes it different, really, is the Bettelmatt cheese recipe—a rare, local cheese with a deep, creamy taste that just melts over the warm bread. When you bite into a slice, you get that tender crunch from the walnuts, a bit of sweet from the figs, and the rich, almost buttery flavor from the cheese. The mix feels like autumn, especially after a chilly walk in the mountains when you want something filling and flavorful. Locals often enjoy it with a glass of red wine. It’s a classic way to show off the amazing gourmet toast recipes that use regional ingredients. Really good stuff.

And listen, for gatherings with friends, this fig and walnut toast brings a taste of Piedmont’s mountain culture right to the table. The golden edges of the toasted bread, the soft, moist cheese, and the chewy figs all come together for something comforting and a bit rustic. In Val d'Ossola, using their prized Bettelmatt cheese recipe is a point of pride—it’s not just any cheese, it’s a treat. Super tasty. People sometimes swap in other alpine cheeses, but Bettelmatt is the real deal if you want a really authentic taste. This is the kind of snack that works as a substantial appetizer, or even a little reward after a day outside. Really really good. There’s a certain satisfaction in sharing this toast, knowing it brings a bit of mountain tradition to everyday life. Between the local bread, the fig and nut combo, and the artisan cheese pairings, it’s easy to see why this snack is loved by anyone who wants to try new cheese toast variations and get a feel for what makes Val d’Ossola food special. Enjoying this dish is like savoring a piece of the region’s rich culinary heritage. Seriously good.

How to prepare Fig and Walnut Toast with Bettelmatt Cheese

To prepare the fig and walnut toasts with Battelmatt, start with the Rye bread dough. In a small bowl with 7 oz of warm water, dissolve the dry yeast 1, add the malt to this and stir again 2. In a larger bowl, mix the rye and Manitoba flour with a spoon 3.

Then add the mixture 4 and dissolve the salt in the remaining portion of warm water 5, and pour this in slowly while mixing with the spoon 6.

Keep mixing 7 until you obtain a homogeneous dough 8. Then cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for an hour or until it has doubled in volume 9.

When the dough is ready, chop the walnut kernels with a knife 10 and coarsely chop the dried figs 11. On a lightly floured work surface, stretch the dough by hand to obtain a large rectangle 12.

Sprinkle the nuts 13 and distribute them well with your fingers 14. Start folding the dough by lifting the edges and bringing them to the center 15.

To ensure the fruit mixes into the dough, continue folding 16, repeating as many times as necessary 17. Then obtain a loaf as thick as the 10x4 inch pan lined with parchment paper 18.

Place it well inside 19, then cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in volume 20. Proceed with baking in a static oven, preheated to 428°F, for about 35 minutes. Once ready, let it cool completely 21.

Grate the Battelmatt with a coarse grater 22. With a serrated knife, cut 8 thick slices of bread (about 0.4 inches) 23 and then butter all the slices on one side 34.

On the first slice of bread with the buttered side, add the cheese 25, then cover with another slice of bread, this time with the buttered side facing up 26. Heat a non-stick pan and brown the bread for 2 minutes covered with a lid 27,

after the time, press a little and flip, then repeat the cooking for the same time 28. As soon as the first is ready 29, continue cooking all the other fig and walnut toasts with Battelmatt and enjoy them melty and hot 30.

Storage

Once the fig and walnut toasts with Battelmatt are ready, it is recommended to consume them immediately and not to store them because their texture could spoil quickly.
Alternatively, you can prepare the bread in advance and store it for a couple of days wrapped in plastic wrap. Or you can store any leftover bread in the same way.

The bread dough can be frozen in the fridge, worked, and brought back to room temperature before baking.

You can freeze it after baking, even in portions.

Advice

The fig and walnut toasts with Battelmatt are really special. If you love the taste of honey in contrast with cheese, this is the right occasion to pour a few drops just before enjoying this delight. The aged Battelmatt might be excessively flavorful, we recommend reducing the quantity by balancing it with some fresh mountain cheese.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

Fig and Walnut Toast with Bettelmatt Cheese

PRESENTATION

How to prepare Fig and Walnut Toast with Bettelmatt Cheese

Storage

Advice

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