Fruited Fougasse #BBB

The French cousin to the wonderful focaccia is the leaf shaped fougasse. The last time I made fougasse was as a buddy bake, 12 years ago! Another version is our bake for this month with both a yeast and a sourdough option. Our host chose the delicious option of a rosemary and sea salt leaf. I, being me, have chosen a slightly different flavor profile. Apricot ginger fougasse, with poppy seeds. And because I was just given the fantastic gift of 3 varieties of local wheat to try out, I decided to use 30% fresh ground red wheat. To complement and temper the stronger flavor of red wheat, I switched some of the water to orange juice.

(I can't wait to try out more of this wheat from a family farm that has spanned 5 generations over the past 125 years!)

We would love to have you try out this lovely, leaf shaped bread with us this month and share how it turned out and what you thought!  New recipes are posted every other month on the 16th. (Next bake in February 2024).  Check out our Facebook group to see the participants' baking results during that time.  If you would like to post your results with a Buddy badge on a blog, let us know in the comments or on the Facebook page.

Here is my version of the fougasse, keep scrolling for the original rosemary version below!

Fruited Fougasse
Makes one large leaf or two small leaves

Preferment:
⅛ tsp active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water (not hot), divided
1 cup bread flour, divided

Mix together yeast, ½ cup lukewarm water and ½ cup bread flour in a bowl.  Cover lightly and let sit for 1 hour. Add an additional 1 cup lukewarm water and and additional cup bread flour and mix until all new ingredients are incorporated. Let sit for at least an hour for flavor (or refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature).

Dough:
all of the Preferment (I also added a spoon of sleepy sourdough starter)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp lukewarm water
½ cup orange juice, room temperature
⅛ tsp active dry yeast
2 - 2¾ cups flour (I used 135g fresh ground Palouse red wheat, the remainder all purpose)
1 tsp salt
3 dried apricots, finely chopped (~30g, ¼+ cup)
1 slice candied ginger, finely chopped (~14g, 1+tbsp)
1 tsp poppy seeds
1-2 tbsp olive oil for brushing

½ tsp poppy seed for garnish

In the bowl of a stand mixer place the Preferment.  Add 1 tbsp of the olive oil and mix briefly just until the oil is mixed in.

Take the 2 tbsp water and add the dry yeast in a small bowl. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.

Add the bloomed yeast, the orange juice, and about half the flour (~1 cup) to the mixture in the stand mixer bowl.  Mix with the paddle.

Switch to the dough hook. On low speed add the remaining flour, a half cup or so at a time, adding only a few tablespoons at a time toward the end for a soft dough.  Add the salt, apricots, ginger, and 1 tsp poppy seeds, and knead on low to medium low speed for about 6 minutes, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and is smooth.  If necessary, add enough flour, up to an additional cup, so that dough is soft but firm.  Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to make sure all flour is incorporated.

Form the dough into a ball and coat with the remaining tbsp olive oil.  Place in a large bowl  and cover.  Then let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk.  This usually takes a couple of hours, but check often. Dough is ready when a finger poked into the dough leave an indent that remains.

Shaping: About an hour before baking the fougasse, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead a few time to fully degas the dough, and divide it into two equal pieces or shape into one larger leaf.  Take a piece and press out into a leaf shape about ½-1 inch high.   Wet hands if necessary so that dough doesn't stick.

Place the shaped dough onto a piece of baking parchment which has been placed on a baking sheet.  Using the end of a bench scraper or stiff plastic scraper or something similar, cut into the dough to make leaf 'veins' - see photo at top of post.  Gently spread out the dough to open up the cuts, maintaining the leaf shape.  Repeat with the other dough piece if making two.

Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap, oiled side down, and let rise for about 30 -50 minutes.  The leaf will get puffy.  If the holes close up, gently open them again with your fingers after removing the plastic wrap.

While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 425ºF.  If using a pizza stone, put it in to preheat too.

Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the surface of the leaf with olive oil, then sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until dark golden brown. Remove from oven, cooling for a while on a wire rack.  Serve while still warm, breaking off pieces of the leaf, or cutting into portions.

The rest of the Bread Baking Babes

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth
  
• Judy’s Gross Eats – Judy
• My Diverse Kitchen - Aparna
• Bread Experience - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
• Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories - Karen
  

 If you would like to make the rosemary version of fougasse, read on for the original recipe!

Fougasse with Rosemary and Sea Salt
Makes FOUR leaves (recipe may be halved)

Preferment:
¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm water (not hot), divided
2 cups bread flour, divided

Mix together ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast, 1 cup lukewarm water and 1 cup bread flour in a bowl. Cover lightly and let sit for 1 hour. Add an additional 1 cup lukewarm water and and additional cup bread flour and mix until all new ingredients are incorporated. Let sit for at least an hour for flavor (or refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature).

Dough:
all of Preferment
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup water, divided
¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
4 - 5.5 cups unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
2-3 tablespoons olive oil from brushing
1-2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
1-2 tablespoons sea salt for sprinkling

In the bowl of a stand mixer place the Preferment.  Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and mix briefly just until the oil is mixed in.

Make sure the water for the dough is lukewarm, not hot. Take 1/4 cup of it and add the dry yeast in a small bowl. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.

Add the re-hydrated yeast, the rest of the warm water, and about half the flour (2 cups) to the mixture in the stand mixer bowl. Mix with the paddle.

Switch to the dough hook. On slow speed add the remaining flour, a half cup or so at a time, adding only a few tablespoons at a time toward the end. The dough will be soft. Add the salt and then knead with the dough hook on low to medium low speed for about 6 minutes, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and is smooth. If necessary, add up to an additional cup flour so that dough is soft but firm. Turn kneaded dough out on a lightly floured board or counter and knead a few turn to make sure all flour is incorporated.

Form the dough into a ball. With the remaining tablespoon olive oil, oil a large bowl  and turn the dough ball in the oil to coat. Cover with oiled plastic wrap or a clean shower cap and place in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk. This usually takes a couple of hours, but check often. Dough is ready when a finger poked into the dough leave an indent that stays.

Shaping: About an hour before baking the fougasse, punch dough down, and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead a few time to get rid of the extra trapped gas, and divide it into four pieces weighing about the same. Take one of the pieces and press it out into a leaf shape. Use your clean hands to press it to about 10-11-inches on a side and about 1/2 - 1-inch high. Wet hands if necessary so that dough doesn't stick. (I shaped it into a tall triangle.)

Place the shaped dough onto a piece of baking parchment which has been placed on a baking sheet. Using a bench scraper or stiff plastic scraper or something similar, cut into the dough to make leaf 'veins' - see photo at top of post. Use your fingers to gently spread out the dough to open up the cuts. Keep the leaf shape. Repeat if desired with the other pieces of dough, making four leaves, or store rest of dough, covered, in fridge, until ready to use.

Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap, oiled side down, and let rise for about 30 minutes. Leaf will get puffy. If holes close up, gently open them again with your fingers after removing the plastic wrap.

While leaf is rising, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone, put it in to preheat too.

Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the surface of the leaf with olive oil, then sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until dark golden brown. Remove from oven, cool a bit on a wire rack after having removed it from pan and parchment. Serve while still warm, breaking off pieces of the leaf, or cutting into portions.

Don't care for rosemary and sea salt? Just replace those with your favorite enhancements.