This leafy flatbread is all dressed up and ready for your next dinner party! # 135: Rosemary Fougasse

Things have been kind of crazy around here, with apartment-hunting in full swing. I don’t know about you but whenever I’m stressed, I turn to baking. It’s therapeutic! You can control each step and it usually turns out the way you expect it to. Truly the perfect remedy for the up-in-the-air feeling that goes with looking for a new home.

This week alone, I’ve made cherry cheesecake bars, brownies, inside-out cupcakes and flatbread. I can pretend the flatbread is a meal, with some fancy olive oil and fresh tomatoes from the yard. My absolute favorite is focaccia, but I wanted to branch out a little. (10 pts to gryffindor if you caught the pun!)

Fougasse is the French cousin if focaccia, with artful slits to make it resemble wheat or a leaf. It’s less fluffy than focaccia, and if you overbake it on accident, it takes on a lovely crunch.

The essentials: flaky sea salt, good olive oil and fresh rosemary.

This recipe called for a pre-ferment, which is basically a tiny dough where the yeast is already activated. You add it to the rest of the ingredients to jump start the yeast for the larger loaf. The only downside is you have to plan ahead and make this an hour or two in advance to give it time to rise.

Reporting for duty!

Just like focaccia, it’s a super wet dough. The spatula is your best friend with this one!

I put chopped rosemary in it as well, so it had little herb glitter.

Sleep well, little dough ball. Time to proof yourself worthy.

Stretch it out on some parchment paper on your oan. You might need a friend holding the paper in place, or some oil to keep it from sliding around.

The signature slits! It held it’s shape surprisingly well.

Post-sauna golden glory. Happy munching!

Recipe from: https://foodal.com/recipes/breads/herbed-fougasse/