Rosemary Fougasse

Serves: 3

Ally Shanahan

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

48

Spice

47

Sweetness

60

Sourness

41

mins

Prep time (avg)

5.4

Difficulty

Ingredients:

Directions:

1

Mix the dough according to the instructions given in the recipe

2

After the dough has taken its first rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (or overnight) it can be shaped into a fougasse

3

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and pat it into a long narrow rectangle

4

Sprinkle a layer of chopped rosemary over the surface of the dough being careful to cover the edges too

5

Fold the dough in thirds like a business letter, the top third over the middle of the dough, then the bottom third over that, completely overlapping the two

6

Press the 3 open sides of the fougasse tightly shut

7

Cover the bread well with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours

8

Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 475 degrees

9

Place a baking stone in the oven to preheat and position an oven rack just below the stone

10

Sprinkle a peel or upsidedown baking sheet generously with cornmeal and place the fougasse on top, stretching it slightly to make it into a square

11

Cut a decorative pattern, such as a leaf or a ladder, into the dough with a dough cutter

12

Spread and stretch the loaf until the cuts form large openings

13

Be sure the fougasse is loosened from the peel, then carefully slide it onto the baking stone

14

Using a plant sprayer, quickly mist the bread with water 8 to 10 times, then quickly shut oven door

15

Mist again after 1 minute

16

Then mist again 1 minute later

17

Bake for about 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 450 degrees and bake 15 minutes longer or until the loaf sounds slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom and the crust is a medium to dark brown

18

(If the crust is not brown enough, the bread will soften as it cools

19

) Transfer the bread to a rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving