Fougasse Bread

This is a relatively easy and non time consuming bread to make. Typically only available in the south of France, this bread conjures up many happy memories of my childhood holidaying in Ste Maxime! We'd buy this bread daily, freshly made at our local boulangerie and enjoy it alongside our lunch and dinner.

I've given it a facelift by adding some caramelised red onion, chili, Rosemary and Gruyere cheese. This bread goes perfectly with my butternut squash and chorizo soup, but can be served alongside pretty much anything!


Makes 2 loaves


Ingredients:

• 1 red onion
• chili flakes
• 1 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• 100g gruyere
• Few rosemary sprigs
• Sea salt

For the dough:

• 7g sachet easy blend yeast
• 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

Tip the flour into a mixing bowl and add the yeast, then add the salt and sugar.


Boil the kettle and measure 100ml into a jug. Top up with cold water to the 300ml mark. Test the temperature with your finger, it should feel perfectly hand hot. Add the oil.


Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients then pour in the liquid all at once. Mix quickly using your hands to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Wipe the dough around the bowl to pick up any loose bits of flour.


Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip out the dough. Knead by stretching it away from you, then folding it in half towards you and pushing it away with the heel of your hand. Give it a quarter turn and repeat, developing a rhythm.


Once the dough is smooth, put it back into the mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rest for 1 hour. The dough is ready when it springs back when you press it with your finger.

Ready to prove!

Thinly slice the onion and gently cook until softened along with the chili flakes (up to you how much you add....depends if you like it spicy or not!), for around 5 minutes. Then cut the gruyere cheese into cubes and chop the rosemary.

Chopped cheese & rosmary

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and lightly kneed in the onion and chili mixture along with the chopped rosemary.

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half. Roll or press out one piece of dough to a rectangular shape of around 20 x 25cm, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Make a large diagonal cut across the centre of the dough, almost to the ends. Make three smaller diagonal cuts either side of the large cut to make a leaf shape. Spread the cuts out a bit as the dough is going to rise on the last prove and the cuts will close up if you don't spread them!




Repeat the above process for the second half of dough. Scatter the cheese and rosemary sprigs into the dough, then sprinkle with a little flour and sea salt. Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas mark 8. Leave the loaves to prove for around 20 minutes then bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.