Fougasse is like focaccia, but with a nice and deliberate leaf shaped design. Its origins are in France, and we have made three of these beautiful breads on this channel already. But that was back in the day before I stopped kneading and started cold fermenting.
So, today I have an updated version of this exquisite bread recipe for you. No-kneading and no pre-ferments . A single fold, a long cold ferment, easy shaping, and a quick bake. This can be a nice weekday dinner bake if you remember to mix up the dough a day ahead of time.
Of course, you can make this on the same day. Give it two hours of room temperature bulk fermentation with a fold halfway through. The final proof will only take one hour, so give it 30 minutes after shaping into a ball and then another 30 minutes on the baking tray.
Be aware that superior flavour will only be achieved with long cold fermentation. That is the reason I am so fond of it, and I would suggest you prioritize that method also.
You can replace the olives with sun dried tomatoes, artichokes or even cheese. Add herbs to the dough or do not use any fillings at all. Customize it to your taste.
This recipe makes one fougasse which can feed two hungry people.
Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.
Ingredients
For the olive version –
220g (7.75oz) white bread flour
30g (1oz) whole wheat bread flour
2.5g (0.09oz) instant dry yeast or 3g (0.1oz) active dry yeast or 7.5g (0.26oz) fresh yeast
5g (0.17oz) salt
8g (0.28oz) olive oil
50g (1.75oz) chopped olives
175g (6.17oz) water
For the rye & caraway version –
210g (7.4oz) white bread flour
40g (1.4oz) wholegrain (dark) rye flour
2.5g (0.09oz) instant dry yeast or 3g (0.1oz) active dry yeast or 7.5g (0.26oz) fresh yeast
5g (0.17oz) salt
8g (0.28oz) olive oil
175g (6.17oz) water
3g (0.1oz) caraway seeds
To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.
The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.
If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.
Method
- In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, olive oil, whole wheat flour, and olives. Mix well. Add the white bread flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 24C (75F).
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Fold.
- Cover and cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
- Shape the dough into a tight ball. Place on a floured surface and cover.
- Ferment or 1 hour.
- Stretch the dough out and place it on a non-stick paper lined baking tray.
- Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
- Cut and shape the dough.
- Spray with water and bake at 210C (410F) fan on or 230C (445F) fan off for 20 minutes.
Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.
Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.
