Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris: Fougasse au Romarin (Rosemary Bread)

Fougasse au Romarin (Rosemary Fougasse) 

from Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris

I was inspired this morning to try a new bread recipe after reading through Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris. 

Rosemary from my garden

The directions say to make the dough into a "leaf-shaped oval."

Adding olive oil and fresh rosemary on top

And à la vôtre!  Amazing.

Fougasse au Romarin (Rosemary Fougasse) 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 1/4 cups (18 ounces; 500 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 1/3 cups (320 ml) lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon granulated instant yeast
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fleur de sel or kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling (see Note 1)
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, roughly chopped, plus extra for sprinkling (substitute 1 tablespoon dried rosemary)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing

DIRECTIONS

Put the flour in a large bowl and form a deep well in the center. Pour the water into the well, sprinkle with the yeast, and leave to soften for 5 minutes.

Using the fingers of one hand and without going all the way to the bottom of the bowl, stir gently to combine part of the flour with the water to form a soupy paste.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature for 25 minutes, until bubbles form at the surface.

Add the salt, rosemary, and oil, and, still working with one hand, stir the entire contents of the bowl to incorporate the rest of the flour, until the dough forms a shaggy ball.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and springy, 12 to 15 minutes; you can also use a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. The dough will be rather sticky, but this is the key to a light-textured fougasse, so try to resist adding extra flour.

Clean the bowl and grease it lightly. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with the towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and sprinkle flour lightly on a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and divide it into two balls.

Shape each ball into a flattened leaf-shaped oval, about 5 by 9 inches (13 by 23 cm), and place side by side on the prepared baking sheet. Use the dull side of a knife to cut five or six deep slits in each fougasse, cutting all the way across the dough. Pull gently on the edges of each loaf to widen the slits, and use your fingers to open each slit widely enough that it won’t close during the baking. Cover with the towel and let rise for 20 minutes as the oven preheats.

 Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until crusty and golden. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with a little more fleur de sel and rosemary, and transfer to a rack to cool completely. The second loaf can be frozen for up to a month (pop the thawed loaf in the oven for 5 minutes at 400°F [200°C] to revive its texture), and any leftovers can be used to make bruschetta the next day.

Source: Clotilde's Edible Adventure by Clotilde Dusoulier. Copyright © 2008 by Clotilde Dusoulier. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.

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