Classic French Fougasse with Olives
Cherie Metcalfe
A golden, crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside flatbread that feels a bit fancy but is actually pretty simple to pull off. This classic French fougasse is studded with briny olives and shaped into its signature leaf-like form, making it just a...
Ingredients
- 700g strong bread flour
- 14g instant yeast (2 sachets)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ¾ cups warm water
- 6 tablespoons Italian Job (plus extra for drizzling)
- 200g pitted black olives, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
- Sea salt flakes
Directions
- In a large bowl, mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
- Add warm water and 4 tablespoons Italian Job. Mix to form a soft dough.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled.
- Punch down the dough and divide it in half.
- Roll each half into an oval roughly 30cm long and 20cm wide.
- Scatter chopped olives and herbs evenly over each dough oval, pressing lightly to incorporate.
- Transfer each dough piece to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Using a sharp knife, make 3–5 diagonal cuts through each dough, creating leaf-like slits. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
- Brush the tops generously with the remaining 2 tablespoons Italian Job and sprinkle sea salt flakes over the top.
- Cover and let rise 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 220°C fan bake.
- Bake both fougasses for 15–20 minutes until golden and crusty.
- Drizzle with a little more Italian Job as soon as they’re out of the oven.
- Cool slightly before tearing and serving.
