Great British Bake Off: Botanical Week

Fougasse recipe

It’s another first for Bake Off this week, as the baker’s get botanical. For the signature challenge they’ll be adding a floral or herbal twist to a meringue pie, then trying their hands at fougasse (a herby bread typically found in Provence, France) adding some flower power to their showstopper celebration cakes.

Pastry Chef Martyn Edmonds has gone with a traditional fougasse topped with rosemary for his recipe this week – although you could try adding cheese, bacon and onion for a more substantial loaf (see our tip at the bottom of the recipe). Don’t forget to share your photos with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Fougasse

Makes 3

Ingredients

500g strong bread flour
15g salt
25g fresh yeast
30ml olive oil, plus extra for brushing
290ml water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 rosemary sprigs, leaves removed and chopped

Method

1. Place the flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and water into a food processor. Blend to form a dough.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3. Place the dough in a large bowl and set aside to rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan assisted/gas 6.
5. Divide the dough into three even-sized portions and shape into balls.
6. Roll out each dough ball into a rough oval, 0.5cm thick.
7. Cut several slashes in each oval and brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with rosemary.
8. Place the loaves on greased baking sheets and bake for 25 minutes.

Martyn’s tip
If you fancy trying something a bit different, fry off 6 rashers bacon (roughly chopped), and 1 onion (finely diced) until soft. Add the bacon and onion along with 80g grated cheddar cheese to the dough once proved, and mix thoroughly.