Multi-tasking with the Proofer: Walnut Fougasse

This article begins a series of first-person accounts of some of our favorite proofer projects.

The Bread Bible’s Walnut Fougasse has long been on my to-bake list, and it was a great way to inaugurate my new proofer. Fougasse is a flatbread from Provence with a history stretching back to Roman times. It’s often enriched and studded with olives or nuts, and shaped to resemble a lattice. The shape gives the bread lots of surface area and a lovely toasted flavor from all that delicious crust.

With our plans to attend the theatre in the early evening and a holiday gingerbread project going on the kitchen at the same time, I knew managing the fermentation would be challenging, as the dough needed to double three times before shaping. The old me (who resorted to all kinds of makeshift proofing arrangements) would have probably ended up with unfinished dough, or with the bread tasting a bit funny from rising at overly warm temperatures. The new me (who now uses a finely calibrated humidity- and temperature-controlled proofer) managed both projects successfully with no stress or worry. The proofer made me look like a multi-tasking pro.

I knew I wouldn’t have time for a long pre-ferment so I chose a bread with ingredients that would give plenty of flavor. Walnut oil has become a staple in my kitchen, it’s wonderful for baking, stirring into Greek yogurt or making salad dressing. The little bowl of tan-colored stuff is gappe, the toasted milk solids left over after making brown butter. The walnuts, walnut oil and gappe made a rich and flavorful bread.

When the gappe and scalded milk had come to room temperature, I mixed them with part of the walnut oil and the dry ingredients to form a shaggy dough. Keeping our theatre plans in mind, I added 1/4 cup of water to the proofer tray and set the thermostat to 85F. At that temperature I was hoping to hit the sweet spot – well-paced, predictable rising that would stop short of the overly warm dough temps that result in off flavors.

According to The Bread Bible, the rate of fermentation doubles for every 15F increase in temperature. With my kitchen at a cool 67F, that means my bread probably went through three rises in less than half the time it would have taken at the colder temperature.

While the proofer warmed, the stand mixer kneaded the dough until smooth, satiny and still just slightly sticky. Then the walnuts were kneaded in gently by hand, and the dough, coated with more walnut oil, went into the proofer. I liked not having to use plastic wrap to cover it – the dough remained moist and did not form a skin.

I set the timer to remind me to check the dough, and went back to making and decorating gingerbread with my daughter. The recipe specified that the first rise would take 45-60 min at 75-80F, and in the proofer (at 85F) the dough was doubled in about 40 min.

After the first rise, more walnut oil gets gently kneaded into the dough, then it doubles two more times in the proofer (three times in all). While the proofer took care of the dough, I took care of more gingerbread. The bread was rising predictably, so we knew when we could use the oven for gingerbread, and when we would need to take a break from cookie making and preheat the oven to a higher temperature for the bread.

After the third doubling, the dough gets a business letter turn, rests, and is brushed with more walnut oil and shaped. I made the characteristic holes by making slits with a very sharp knife, then gently working them open. In order to produce a somewhat dense texture, the final proof after shaping is intentionally short – 15 minutes – then it goes into the hot oven.

The fougasse was delicious, richly flavored and moist. Thanks to my proofer, it was also perfectly timed for an early pre-theatre meal. Still just slightly warm, it was wonderful paired with soft, ripe cheese and fruit.