Fougasse is a type of French bread typically associated with Provence, but found in other regions too. Quarry Bakehouse owner Julian Thomas shows us the technique with this olive and rosemary version.
About Julian:
Julian has 34 years of baking and patisserie experience, beginning in Townsville at Jean-Pierre Patisserie where he completed a four-year apprenticeship and culminating in being invited to the Apprentice of the Year Competition in Brisbane in 1994.
Julian then moved to Melbourne and worked in 5-star hotels for seven years, gaining valuable experience with many now well-known celebrity chefs. After working around Melbourne, Julian started his first bakery business, called Chocolate Sensation in the Dandenong Ranges, in 2007.
After selling in 2016 and mentoring many apprentices over that time, Julian was drawn into teaching which had always been a passion of his. He taught Baking and Patisserie at William Angliss Institute, TAFE and Nova International for three years before losing that role in 2020 due to COVID-19.
By this stage he was ready to get back into business and service his local Yarra Ranges area and in June 2021—in the middle of harsh Melbourne lockdowns—Quarry Bakehouse was born, named after the disused Quarry which was converted into a popular picnic and swimming area.
Olive and rosemary fougasse with Julian Thomas
WHAT YOU NEED
Baker’s flour 430gm
Cold water 300ml
Starter culture 150gm
Salt 9gm
150g of olives
1 sprig of rosemary
WHAT TO DO
Weigh cold water into mixing bowl.
Add baker’s flour and mix until combined.
Autolyse for 30min-1hr.
Weigh starter into mixing bowl and mix on low speed for 3 minutes. Sprinkle salt over dough then continue mixing dough until gluten is strong and dough temperature reaches 25c.
Take dough out and hand mix for a couple of minutes.
Put dough in greased bowl or baking dish and cover. Prove for 1hr somewhere warm.
Knock back dough by lifting from centre and giving coil folds. Repeat steps 6 and 7 another 4-6 times over a 6-7-hour period—this is your bulk fermentation period.
Add in the olives and rosemary and mix through on the final fold.
Shape dough into a ball and place in fridge for 12-18 hours.
Take dough from fridge and press out on baking paper sprinkled with rice flour. Cut the dough with a scraper to obtain the classic Fougasse leaf shape.
Dry proove the dough for 2-3 hours until it has risen by 1/3.
Pre heat oven to 250c then slide fougasse onto a stone base oven and apply steam. Set timer for 20 minutes, then turn loaf around 180 degrees and turn oven down to 220c. Cook for approx. 20min depending on your colour preference.
Janice Mather
26 August
Amazing technique. Love watching the process. Well done Julian.