Fresh from the Oven,
French Hearth Bread
and
Three Cheese Fougasse
September’s challenge for Fresh from the Oven is one of my favourite French breads, Fougasse ~ I love their casual and unpretentious style and the fact that any topping goes; I have made them before with crispy lardons and fried onions, but for this month’s challenge I decided to make a three cheese version, perfect for accompanying my home-made soup for lunch.
Fougasse is a peasant hearth bread from the Provence region of France, although you will find them all over France in boulangeries and supermarket bakery departments ~ think a primitive form of pizza, a simple bread that was made with odds and ends of dough at the end of the day, and allowed to prove overnight on the hearth, being baked next morning as soon as the fires were lit. It is an excellent “tear and share” bread and I love it with soups and stews, as well as when packed still warm in a tea-towel and taken on a picnic.
This recipe uses three French cheeses which give a distinct flavour and texture to the topping of this bread ~ use any local cheeses that melt well if you cannot source the ones I have suggested; Cheddar springs to mind as well as Parmesan cheese. You can of course add many other toppings, as well as herbs to the dough ~ rosemary is a favourite of mine especially with black olives.
This has been a wonderful challenge and I discovered a new favourite with my three cheeses, all remnants of a cheese board from the night before ~ I will try a chèvre or blue cheese next time with walnuts maybe ~ the possibilities are endless and I am happy to pursue them! So, here with a flurry of floury hands and doughy fingers, is my offering for Fresh from the Oven for September.
See you soon,
Karen
Three Cheese Fougasse
(Makes 3 loaves)
400g strong white bread flour
1tsp salt
1 x 7g sachet fast action dried yeast
100ml olive oil
200ml warm water
Topping:
25g Gruyère, 25g Comte, 25g Cantal, all grated – (75g cheese in total)
Place the flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and water in a food processor. Blend to form a dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a large bowl and set aside to rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
Shape the dough into three rough oval shapes and make 3 slits across the bread on each side with a knife and 1 large one right down the middle, cutting right through the dough ~ you will have 7 slits in total, 3 on each side of the loaf and 1 in the middle. Stretch it with your hands and a rolling pin to about 30cm long.
Put the loaves on to greased baking trays, cover with cling film or a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove until doubled in volume. Allow up to an hour for this.
Pre-heat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas mark 5. Bake the fougasse loaves for 25 to 30 minutes. If you’re adding the cheese or another topping, take the bread out of the oven just before it’s done, sprinkle the cheese or other flavourings evenly over the bread, and return to the oven for 5 minutes.Eat warm or cold.
Alternative toppings to try: caramelised onions, other types of cheese, olives, rosemary, minced garlic, grilled bacon or lardons. Press them into the almost cooked loaf and proceed as before, baking them for a further 5 minutes.
Zoe says
This is a very rustic looking bread. The three cheese toppings is beautiful!
A Trifle Rushed says
Delicious bread, and I love your combination of cheeses. Yum!
Kate@whatkatebaked says
Oh Karen- what a glorious bread! This is like a super-sophisticated, super-tasty French version of one of my favourite ever foods (cheese on toast). Yummmm!! Definitely making this next time I make fougasse!
Marie says
Oh my but that looks some scrummy Karen!! I must give this a try one day! xxoo
Liz says
Hadn't heard of fougasse before, but it looks and sounds delicious. Might give it a try at the weekend. Thanks for recipe.
Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger
Thrifty Household says
Yum!
purelyfood says
Thank you for taking part this month and also for sharing such a delicious looking fougasse recipe. Love reading about the origin of fougasse too.
Irma says
Gorgeous bread!
Jennifer says
Looks delicious – must make some of this.
Working london mummy says
Simply gorgeous. Love the close up shots. Plenty of cheese there!!
thelittleloaf says
Congratulations on a gorgeous looking fougasse! Love the idea of sprinkling with cheese and think your walnut idea would be delicious too. Loving being part of the Fresh from the oven community 🙂
dearloveblog says
This look so delicious, a great selection of cheeses in the topping. I will definitely have to give this recipe a try. I toyed with the idea of Roquefort & walnut but I ran out of time, although I did make stuffed fougasse with camembert & rosemary which was delicious.
Tina V. says
Very rustic and very beautiful 🙂
I like the shape you made 🙂
Laura@howtocookgoodfood says
Karen,
I love your food!
Next year on my way to the Dordogne, can I come & stay for a night?!!!
La Table De Nana says
That first photo is sublime:) Don't you love the look of fougasse?
I think it wins best looking in the bread dept for me..
Yours is no exception.Bravo..c'est beau beau beau!
Isobel says
Oh my, that looks so yummy! And so pretty!
xx
Annie says
Nom, nom, nom … as my son would say. Karen you are so not good for my need to lose weight!
And oh, what joy, you won't believe my word verification word … OVENTINS!!!
That'll be the ones the Fougasse was cooked on ;D
All That I'm Eating says
I've always wanted to make fougasse myself, you've inspired me to give it a go!
Kentish Keg-Meg says
Looks great. Will make it soon.
Janice says
Looks great, I just love bread and bread with cheese is even better.
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
This is a truly beautiful bread 🙂
Mary x
Sally - My Custard Pie says
Lovely cheesey bread – like the suggestion of caramelised onions and lardons too…mmmm.
Nic says
All this Fougasse is killing me at this time of the morning…
Want some now! The cheese on the top is calling my name!
J says
should have thought of adding cheese as topping.. thanks for inspiring!
Camilla says
Beautiful bread, I can almost taste it. I wonder if it freezes well, no reason why not I suppose!
Karen says
IT freezes beautifully Camilla! 🙂