Olive Fougasse

A golden, crispy crust hiding a soft crumb, punctuated by fleshy black olives. The scent of warm olive oil and Provence herbs hits you right out of the oven.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 20 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 654
• Protein: 13 g
• Carbs: 97 g
• Fat: 23 g

Ingredients

• 500 g Wheat flour ( sifted )
• 300 ml Mineral water ( lukewarm )
• 20 g Fresh baker's yeast ( crumbled )
• 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil ( divided )
• 10 g Gray sea salt
• 150 g Black olive ( pitted and roughly chopped )
• 1 tbsp Dried Herbs de Provence

Instructions

1. Prepare the starter

   Crumble the fresh baker's yeast into lukewarm mineral water. Let it rest for 10 minutes until small bubbles appear on the surface.

2. Knead the dough

   In a large bowl, mix the wheat flour, grey sea salt, 40ml of olive oil, and the yeast mixture. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes. The dough should become smooth, elastic, and no longer stick to your fingers.

3. First rise

   Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot. The dough must double in size.

4. Shaping and garnish

   Deflate the dough by pressing it with your fist. Fold in the roughly chopped black olives. Roll out the dough into an oval shape 2 cm thick. Make diagonal slashes with a sharp knife and widen the holes with your fingers to form an ear-of-wheat pattern.

5. Second rise and baking

   Let rest for 30 minutes on a baking sheet. Brush with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with Provence herbs. Bake at 220°C until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Chef's tips

• For an even tastier crust, brush the fougasse with a little salted water just before putting it in the oven.
• Do not overwork the dough once the olives are added, otherwise they might turn the entire crumb grey.

Storage

Keeps for 2 days in a dry cloth. To restore its crispness, place it in a hot oven for 5 minutes.