2022 Tour de France - Stage 16: Carcassonne to Foix.
Yesterday was the last rest day for the riders, but not for me. I ended up getting out of bed around 545 and hopped a train to Philly. Yesterday was the first day of a new job for me, albeit with the same employer. Turns out, I will regularly be heading up the city of brotherly love. Perhaps I can finally figure out who make the best Philly Cheesesteak! Anyway, I came back on the train and was pooped because I also had 2 hockey games over the weekend. But, I had to start the dough for today's state-specific dish, which I’m currently chowing down on while I type this entry.
Fougasse is a crust-laden chewy bread that has you going back for more and more. It’s tasty, but also pretty diverse in its flavor profile. My wife and I were kept chewing and were like, “what does this remind me of?” First: goldfish crackers, then pizza crust, then Megan opened it up and smelled it. I followed suit and the interior kind of smells like a danish pastry. But there’s something else: hard pretzel flavor! Kind of sour-doughy, kind of shredded wheaty, but with a structure close to a baguette and then finally, gougeres-y. So crazy, all of these flavors working in harmony in a chewy, crusty leaf-shaped mystifyingly satisfying dough.
Fougasse with Bacon & Gruyere from Cook’s Illustrated
4 slices thick-cut bacon, ½-inch dice
¼ cup whole wheat flour
3 cups AP flour
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
1.5 cups warm water
Cornmeal or Semolina flour
¼ cup evoo, divided
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
Render your bacon until just crisped over medium heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
Sift the whole wheat flour into the bowl of a stand-mixer. Add in the AP flour, salt, yeast and water. Affix to your stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook, and knead on low speed, for about 6 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover, leaving on the counter to rise for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, uncover and pull the dough edge into the center, turn the bowl 45 degrees and pull the edge of the dough to the center. Repeat this process for a total of 8 folds. Cover for 30 minutes and repeat this rest-and-fold process 4 more times.
After the fourth fold-over, cover and place the dough in the refrigerator for 16-48 hours to rest.
The next day, remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly-floured work surface, gently stretching out the dough to an 8-inch round. Cut the dough in half.
One-half at-a-time, take 1 cut corner and fold it in toward the rounded edge. Do the same with the other cut edge and give a light press. Place the folded dough seam-side down onto a lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with the other half dough on another baking sheet. Cover each with a damp dish towel and let the dough rest for 30-60 minutes.
After that rest, place a pizza stone in the oven on a rack in the lower-third and preheat to 450 degrees.
Take one dough half and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface, seam-side down, into a large triangular shape. Turn the baking sheet over and place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom, dusting it with cornmeal or semolina flour. Place the rolled out dough onto the prepared parchment.
Make a big slice down the middle and a few angled slices around the large slice. Stretch the dough lightly to open up the gaps. Cover again with the damp towel and let rest for another 30 minutes. After 20 minutes, repeat this process with the remaining half of the dough.
After the 30 minutes rest, take the first-prepared dough, and slide the fougasse (still on the parchment) right onto the pizza stone. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the dough half-way through the bake.
Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bake the second prepared fougasse and repeat the resting process.
______________________________ Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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