Fougasse

This flat bread that is perhaps one of the easiest to make, can be said to be a French version of Italian foccacia or Balkan pogaca. They all stem from the same family of breads dating back from ancient Roman times when the flat bread was baked in the ashes of the hearth.

I personally like fougasse best when served as an appetizer in combination with avocado and hot pepper spread. The pieces of warm bread, torn by hand and buttered with this spread are absolutely delicious! The spread is easy to make: mix together one ripe avocado, to taste add hot peppers preserved in oil and some of the flavoured oil from the jar just to make the whole mixture soft and buttery.

The distinct characteristics of fougasse is a texture that is crunchy on the outside and soft inside. It is also easily recognizable by its leaf like shape. Traditionally it has been baked in a wood burning oven. For the similar effect from the home oven and rich golden color, the fougasse is sprinkled with cornmeal before baking.

Fougasse dough can be easily combined with any of the following additions: olives, roasted peppers, roasted onions, fresh rosemary leaves or thyme leaves.

This is very quick and easy bread to make. After making the dough, at which point additional herbs or flavorings are added, the dough is fermented for one hour. During this time the oven with baking stone is prewarmed. After fermenting, the dough is divided, shaped and baked immediately.

The recipe has been adapted from Richard Bertinet’s book: “Dough”.

Print Recipe

Fougasse

Simple and delicious flat bread!

Course

Bake

Cuisine

French

Keyword

bread, flat bread, fougasse

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Passive Time

1 hour

Servings

fougasse

Ingredients

• 500 g all purpose non bleached flour
• 10 g fresh yeast or substitute with 1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast or 1 tsp instant yeast
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 365 g filtered water

Course Bake Cuisine French Keyword bread, flat bread, fougasse Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Passive Time 1 hour Servings fougasse Ingredients 500 g all purpose non bleached flour 10 g fresh yeast or substitute with 1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast or 1 tsp instant yeast 2 tsp fine sea salt 365 g filtered water

Instructions

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl add flour, crumble the yeast and rub it into the flour using your palms.
2. Add the salt and water to the bowl. Using a plastic bench scraper mix the ingredients. With your left hand rotate the bowl counterclockwise while the right hand held scraper scraping the inside of the bowl in opposite, clockwise direction. Continue for 2-3 minutes until a shaggy wet mass is formed, without dry bits. Turn over onto a clean counter.
3. Using a French slap (or any other method) knead the dough for 5-8 minutes or until the gluten is fully developed.
4. Form the dough ball, transfer to the lightly floured mixing bowl, cover and keep at room temperature for 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven with the baking stone or upside down baking pan, rack in the middle, to 260ºC (500º F).
6. Sprinkle the counter with flour liberally, using a plastic scraper turn the non sticky side of dough ball (top of the ball) onto the counter.
7. Using the flat side of the scraper and using decisive movements cut the dough into 3 triangular sections (rough triangle).
8. Using the long flat side of the scraper, cut a hole in the middle and then using the short flat side of the scraper cut 2-3 slits on each side. Gently spread the cuts open with your fingers.
9. Transfer the dough on floured pizza peel and then to the oven.
10. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Remove the fougasse and let cool on a cooling rack.
12. Repeat the process with the other two cut pieces of dough.

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