Fougasse Stuffed with Roasted Red Peppers

Here is another bread that I made using the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day book.  I don't really know what Fougasse means, but it looked neat with the cut outs, and my husband loves red peppers, so I decided to give it a go.  Being that I can't stand bell peppers, I didn't try this.  But he said it was really good.  He did think I used a tad too many peppers though, so if you try this scale back a bit.  Unless you REALLY like peppers, in which case, go crazy!

I was a little scared of this bread.  It had cut outs!  Really?  I am a bread novice, how could I handle a stuffed bread with cutouts?!  But it was really easy.  It used the same Olive Oil dough my Focaccia bread used. 

Fougasse Stuffed with Roasted Red Pepper
From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
Printable Recipe

1 pound Olive Oil Dough
1 Medium red bell pepper (or jarred roasted red pepper, drained)
Coarse Salt
1/4 tsp thyme (I didn't have any, used rosemary)
Olive Oil
Whole wheat flour (for dusting, other flour would work too)

If you are using a whole bell pepper, roast it under the broiler or on top of your gas stove.  Put it in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes.  Peel the skin away.  Slice into strips.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with baking stone in the oven.  Place a broiler pan near the bottom of the oven.

Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour.  Cut off a 1 pound piece.  Dust the piece with more flour and shape into a ball, stretching the dough around the bottom on all 4 sides.

Using a rolling pin, form a large flat round about 1/8 in thick.  Add more flour than normal, when you are going to cut slits, so the dough doesn't close immediately.  Place the dough on a pizza peel (or flat cookie sheet) covered in whole wheat flour.




Cut the slits into the circle of the dough, only on one half.  You made need to add more flour if it is sticky.  Spread open the holes a little using your fingers.  Please the red pepper strips on the other half of your dough, leaving a 1 inch border.  Dampen the dough edge, fold the slitted side over to cover the peppers.  Pinch to seal.  Brush the loaf with olive oil.




Slide the fougasse onto the hot stone.  Pour 1 cup hot water into the broiler tray.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow to cool, then slice or break into pieces to serve.

Focaccia with Onion and Rosemary

A friend of mine let me borrow her Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day book. This book is great!  Who doesn't love fresh baked bread?  I mean really, what isn't to love?  It is pretty much perfect.  The recipes in this book are really easy.  You start with a base recipe.  You spend about 5 minutes preparing that recipe.  Then you let it rise and fall over a couple of hours.  After that, you put it in the fridge until you are ready to make your bread.  It lasts for almost 2 weeks in the fridge!  The base recipe makes 4 pounds of dough (or 4 loaves of bread).  It could easily be halved. 

So far I have made 1 batch and used all 4 pounds.  All of the recipes have been wonderful!  This Focaccia was exactly how I think Focaccia should be.  Light, airy, full of flavor.  And Really, there was so little effort in making it.  I have made Focaccia before, and I remember it being lots of work!  Not this one!

Focaccia with Onion and Rosemary
Recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
Printable Recipe 

1 pound dough (recipe to follow)
1/4 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbls Olive Oil, plus 1 tsp or drizzling
3/4 tsp dried rosemary
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line or grease a cookie sheet with a little olive oil.  You could use a baking stone instead.

Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off 1 pound of dough.  Dust the piece with more flour.  Shape into ball, but stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides.  Flatten into a 1/2 in to 3/4 in thick round.  Place the round on your baking sheet.

Saute the onion slices in 2 Tbls olive oil, until softened, but not browned.  Place onions over the top of the dough.  Do not over crowd the dough, you will have left over onions.  Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper.  Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil.

Allow the dough to rest and rise for 20 minutes.  Place in oven, and bake for about 25 minutes, depending on thickness.  The crust will be medium brown.  Cut and serve warm!

Olive Oil Dough
2 3/4 cups luke warm water
2 packets yeast
1 1/2 Tbls Kosher Salt
1 Tbls Sugar
1/4 cup Olive Oil
6 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Mix yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil with the water in a  large bowl that has a lid (not airtight).  I used my mixing bowl, and just fit with plastic wrap. 

Mix in the flour using the dough hook on your mixer.  Do not knead, stop when all the flour is mixed in.

Cover and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses approx 2 hours. 

The dough can be used right a way, or refrigerate in lidded container for up to 12 days.  It is easier to handle when the dough is cold.