Rosemary Fougasse

Just came across this recipe and thought, wow that looks so tropical. The leaf looks like a split leaf Philodendron. Really it's French. But what a cool shape. Right? It's Focaccia, looking all dressed up for the table. Really not to hard to make. The rise time is 1 hr. Here in the jungle everything has a quick rise time. So mine is a little fluffy. I am loving it! Are you going to try it? Let me know if you do. You could put any thing on top of it. I just used garlic and sea salt. The rosemary is inside.

Rosemary Fougasse

Fougasse is French for Focaccia bread. Sorta. Recipe is form, in the kitchen with Stefano Faita

INGREDIENTS

2 3/4 cups to 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tbsp. salt 1 tbsp. to 1 1/2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary 1 cup warm water 2 tsp. active dry yeast 1 tbsp. sugar 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing on bread Flour, for rolling dough Olive oil, for brushing dough Coarse sea salt, for sprinkle on top

PREPARATION

Add 2 3/4 cups flours, 1 tbsp. salt and finely chopped rosemary to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.

To another bowl, add warm water, yeast and sugar. Stir. Let stand until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add yeast mixture and 2 tbsp. olive oil to the flour mixture. Stir to combine and form dough into a ball. Remove dough from bowl and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 to 8 minutes, adding more flour if dough is too sticky.

Put the ball of dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Store dough in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Punch down dough.

Sprinkle work surface with flour. Roll dough to 3/4-inch to 1-inch thickness and shape into large oval.

To create a leaf pattern in the bread: Use a sharp paring knife or pastry scraper and cut a slit down the middle of the bread and then 5 slits on either side of it. Delicately separate the slits open to create a more prominent design. Transfer to baking sheet.

Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake until golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Make-Ahead Tip: You can make the dough 1 day ahead. Instead of letting the dough rise until doubled in volume in a warm place, cover and put in fridge. The next day, bring dough to room temperature, then punch dough and proceed as above.