Tomato Basil Fougasse

I'm trying out my Dad's Blackberry camera now to see if it gives better results on my food photography. Today, Mom left to meet up with her Church friends, so I had the kitchen all to my self (evil laugh). I recently dug up the box containing my books from undergrad (when I moved out I packed everything up and left it buried in the garage) and found The New Bread Book by Ursula Ferrigno. It had been given as a Christmas present by my roommate a few years ago, and as Dad and I riffled through the pages, one recipe caught my eye....



Tomato Basil Fougasse

Ingredients:

-3 1/3 (1 lb) bread flour
-1 tsp fine sea salt
-1 packet (2.5 tsp) dried instant yeast
-1 1/8 cups water
-Olive oil
-4 oz tomatoes, chopped
-Handful fresh basil (I picked them from our own backyard)

1. Mix the yeast with 2 tbsp warm water and let rest for about 10 minutes.
2. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, then pour in the yeast and rest of the water. Add 1 tbsp olive oil.
3. Mix ingredients until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Kneed on a floured surface for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy.
5. Cover with a damp towel and incubate in a warm place for about 1 hour.
6. Knead on a floured surface for about 5 minutes.
7. Divide into two loaves. For each loaf, flatten out and spread with the tomatoes and basil.
8. Roll the dough into a long tube, then turn over and roll perpendicular to the first roll, so you end up with a spherical dough (of sorts).
9. Flatten the dough as much as you can (carefully) without spilling filling everywhere.
10. Cut 6 diagonal slits through the interior of the bread, then spread it out. I stuck extra pieces of tomato and basil through the slits at this point.
11. Place on a oiled baking tray, cover with a damp towel, and incubate in a warm place for another hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
12. Brush with olive oil and bake at 425F for about 25 minutes, or until the the dough is golden brown.