Fougasse recipe
We make this on a regular basis here despite the fact that we are surrounded by hundreds of French boulangeries selling a huge variety of freshly made breads. However, as Fougasse hails from around Provence, on the Med, we can’t get it here, so we make our own.
Fougasse keeps for only a day, but freezes really well and eats superbly when gently re-heated in a low oven.
Ingredients
- 500 g Plain, or strong flour
- 2 Sachets of easy-blend dried yeast
- 2 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 400 ml Luke warm water
- 1 Large handful roughly chopped rosemary, sage, or thyme leaves
- 12 Black olives
- 2 tsp Rough sea salt
Details
- Cuisine: French
- Recipe Type: Accompaniment
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 95 mins
- Cooking Time: 20 mins
- Serves: 12
Step-by-step
- Put the flour, yeast, salt and oil in a roomy bowl and mix in most of the water with a wooden spoon, stirring to form a very soft gooey dough.
- Turn out and knead on a floured worktop for about five minutes.
- Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm part of the kitchen for one hour until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- Lightly oil a baking tray and tip in the dough.
- Now, with your fingers, gently spread the dough out to the edges of the tray, flattening it as you go. Leave again, uncovered, in a warm part of the kitchen for twenty minutes until risen again.
- When it has risen, scatter with the herbs and gently `dib' the surface of the dough with your fingertips making deep depressions in the surface. Sprinkle over the black olives and sea salt and place in the centre of the oven. Bake for about twenty minutes, or until golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes or so. Cut into squares and serve.
Also worth your attention:
More from Jim Fisher