Fougasse baked by the Bread Baking Babes!

  Yes, it is already the 16th of October and this time Elizabeth invited us all to bake a fougasse, Any which recipe we like as long as it’s shaped, sliced and baked as a fougasse! I don’t know why but I never have baked a fougasse before. And now that I did…. I’m in love! It’s almost ridiculously easy and with such a pleasing result!

This time I used a regular white bread dough, nothing fancy but purposely keeping it on the wet side.
I used 500 gr bread flour, 350 gr water, 1.1/2 tsp yeast, 1/1.4 tsp salt. That’s it.

When you are going to bake this one (and of course you do, because who wouldn’t want to be a Bread Baking Buddy and have their own Buddy Badge?) handle your dough with a light hand, do not deflate just shape and try to keep as much air in as you can. (Same you would do while making focaccia).
I divided the dough in two, had one on a wooden board sprinkled with semolina, brushed with olive oil and herbs (below). The other one on a wooden board with flour and dusted with some more flour. (above)

Pat and push into a leaf-shape –or just keep it rectangular- and make the slashes with a dough scraper. With the same ease you might use a pizza wheel. Open them by softly stretching/pulling with your hands.
So many different recipes, and nothing in common! Some would let you rise the dough a second time after shaping and slashing, some would have you bake it right after shaping and slashing…. That’s what I did. I shaped, slashed and let it rest for a mere 15 minutes after that. Baked it on stone in a very hot oven. (250C to heat up the oven, turning down to 230 for baking 20 minutes).

Go and visit my fellow Bread Baking Babes (on the left hand side) and don’t forget: have some wine!
For details on more info on fougasse and how to become a Bread Baking Buddy please head over to Elizabeth!
This one is also being Yeast Spotted! Hi Susan!