Fougasse Bread

Prepare and rest ingredients (1 hour): In a medium bowl, combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and water and stir until ragged dough forms. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Rest 1 hour (this is called autolyse).

Knead the dough (10 minutes): After the rest, flatten the dough and sprinkle with the kosher salt and yeast. Wet your fingers to prevent sticking and knead a few times to incorporate the ingredients into the dough.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Knead on medium low speed for 8 minutes. The dough should form a ball, but remain rather sticky. If a ball does not form, add a sprinkle of flour. Alternatively, knead by hand for 8 minutes on a lightly-floured counter. You may need to add a sprinkle of flour to get the dough to form a ball, but resist the urge to add too much flour.

First rise (1 ½ to 2 hours): Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm location until doubled in size and very bubbly, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Shape the fougasse (5 minutes): Lay a piece of parchment paper on a countertop. Scrape the dough onto the parchment paper and use your fingers to press the dough into a large, slightly pointed oval about 1/2” thick (see photo). Use a pizza roller or pastry cutter to cut a line down the middle to mimic the leaf stem shape, then use wet fingers to gently open the slice (this helps to form the separation of each leaf). Repeat with 3 cuts on each side to finish the leaf design, opening each slightly.

Second rise (30 minutes): Moisten the top of the dough with water, then cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Rest 30 minutes, until slightly puffy.

Meanwhile, place a pizza stone in the middle rack of the oven. Place an empty, rimmed baking sheet on the rack below. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Garnish and bake (20 minutes): After the rest, brush the top of the dough with the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with sea salt, Parmesan cheese, and chopped rosemary.

Slide an un-rimmed cookie sheet under the parchment and use it like a pizza peel to transfer the dough on the parchment paper to the pizza stone.

Carefully add 2 cups of hot tap water to the hot baking sheet below, being very careful not to let the steam burn your hands. (The steam helps the bread to have a better rise and texture.)

Bake in the oven for 13 to 16 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, rotating the bread (by moving the parchment paper) after 10 minutes for even browning.

Cool and serve: Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes before serving. Store the bread wrapped in cloth or in a bread bag on the counter for up to 2 days, or freeze wrapped in foil in a plastic bag for several months.