Cranberry Walnut Fougasse Recipe

Yeast breads are one of my favorite things to bake. Not just the part where I eat it, but the process of kneading, proofing and shaping makes it one of my favorites. It's time consuming, but really rewarding and super easy to learn.  

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you today. This fougasse is the perfect mixture of soft dough, crunchy nuts, and sweet dried cranberries. Fougasse is a great option for a vegan, vegetarian, or dairy-free diet as it contains no milk, butter, or eggs.

Below, I've answered some frequently asked questions about fougasse. 

What is fougasse?

Fougasse is a traditional French bread flatbread, typically shaped into an ear of wheat or a leaf. In this recipe, it is a slightly sweet bread, but they may also be plain or seasoned with savory herbs. 

Can you use all-purpose flour? 

Yes! I used all-purpose flour in the recipe and it turned out great! You can also use bread flour, but separate about a cup before mixing. Add that extra cup gradually after adding the liquid ingredients until you get the right consistency, and don't worry about trying to use it all. 

Can you use other dried fruits and nuts? 

Absolutely! The recipe is super adaptable so if you'd rather raisins or dates over cranberries, or pecans or almonds over walnuts, then go nuts! (Pun intended.) 

Do you have dust your sheetpan with corn meal?

Nope! Cornmeal is just what I picked to keep the fougasse from sticking to the pan. You can just as easily use flour, parchment paper, or silicon baking sheets.

Now onto the actual recipe!

Ingredients: 

• Warm water, around 105°F (40.5°C/ works best
• Instant yeast - You can also use active dry, just disolve the yeast in the water and sugar instead of adding it to the dry ingredients.
• Sugar - For a vegan bread, use organic sugar.
• All-purpose flour (again, bread flour also works)
• Salt
• Olive Oil - You can use vegetable oil, but I think olive has a better flavor.
• Dried Cranberries - I personally like Ocean Spray's Cherry Infused Craisins for my fougasse. 
• Crushed Walnuts - You want these to be very fine, almost like a walnut butter. I use a food processor for this, but you can also throw your walnuts into a resealable bag and beat them with the back of a spoon. 
• Walnut Halves and Pieces for garnish
• Corn meal to coat your sheet pan

 

To start off your fougasse, you'll want to add all of your dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix till combined. If you're using instant yeast like I am, this will include your yeast and sugar. Slowly add in your water, folding it in with a spatula. 

The dough should come together to a firm but slightly sticky consistency. 

At this point, I put it in a stand mixer and use the dough hook to knead it for 5-10 minutes. Of course, kneading can be done by hand instead.

Now, the fougasse is ready to rise! My preferred method is to place a thin, damp towel over the bowl and leave my dough in a slightly warm, but off, oven. I typically preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C), then shut it off before placing my dough inside. You may want to move your dough to a greased bowl to keep it from sticking.

Once the dough has doubled in size, after about an hour, you can punch it down and turn it out onto a floured surface. 

Divide the dough into six even balls and roll each ball out into ovals. This is where you can get creative with the shaping of your fougasse. Cut holes into the dough to help it resemble a leaf or an ear of wheat. As you can see from my photos, I made one long cut down the center, then three more on each half.

Stretch the dough slightly, then move it to a sheet pan dusted with corn meal to keep it from sticking as it bakes. Cover your fougasse with a damp towel and leave it to rise once more, this time for only about 15 minutes.

Before I bake my fougasse, I like to garnish it with a few walnut pieces. Make sure you press them firmly into the dough so that they don't fall out when the dough rises in the oven.

Bake at 425°F (218°C) for about 15 minutes. 

Once the fougasse has cooled, drizzle with a little honey or maple syrup and enjoy!

Thanks for reading!