Quick, Yummy Dinner Bread

This is from a beautiful lady & chef, Hallie Harron. She lives half of the year in Encinitas & the other in FRANCE at her cooking school. Check out some of her cookbooks on Amazon. Tomatoes & Mozzarella

FAST FOUGASSE
This is the no fuss or muss version of the ladder bread so common in Provence. This no-knead method comes in useful when time and space are at a premium. The result is a crunchy loaf that is best eaten the day it is baked.
2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons dry yeast
4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Optional toppings: Olive or basil oil, coarse salt, rosemary or sesame seeds

In a medium bowl, mix together the water and yeast. Stir in 2 cups flour until the batter is smooth. Add remaining flour and salt and stir until dough pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight or let rise until double, about 40 minutes.

If you refrigerate the dough, remove and divide into 2 portions and let rest for 10 minutes. If not, just divide the dough and proceed.
Heat the oven to 475 degrees. The dough will appear wet. Oil 2 baking sheets or line the sheets with parchment and oil the paper. Scrape the dough onto the baking sheets. Stretch each loaf into a rectangle. Let rise for 15 minutes. Cut 3 large slashes on either side of each loaf. Sprinkle with any of the additional toppings. Place loaves in oven and immediately reduce heat to 450 degrees. Using a plant mister, mist the tops of the loaves. Bake until golden and hollow sounding when tapped. Cool on a rack.
Makes 2 fougasse

** I make one large loaf...but sometimes it needs a little extra time to cook through. FYI...it's a little on the salty side. Great with pasta, fresh mozzarella or plain ole' EVOO. Please let me know if you have any questions. In our cooking class, Hallie told us to put cornmeal or oats on the pan before adding the dough. I don't mist it :)

Hallie is coming out with a FONDUE book!! Can't wait!! Hoping for another cooking class in the Fall.

Happy Eating :)