When placed in the oven, these sourdough fougasse look no more than cut, mangled pieces of scrap dough. After a few minutes, they begin to rise, to transform with the look of a chunky poolside inflatable ladder. And I mean that in the best possible way. They puff up and harden quickly, creating a crust-to-crumb ratio that definitely leans in favor of the crust. They’re soft, chewy, and delicate inside, but the exterior, with occasional olive poking through, hardens off to just-crunchy-enough.
The French fougasse shares many of the same traits as the Italian focaccia. My approach with this recipe followed much of the same path as my focaccia recipe: a same-day dough that’s meant to be quickly put together in the morning and ready for dinner.
