The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

We 3 gmas baked Fougasse

gmagmabaking2's picture
gmagmabaking2

We 3 gmas baked Fougasse

My sisters and I baked together again while in our own kitchens in Haltom City, TX, Granbury, TX and Colville, WA... we discussed the recipe we wanted to use and had some variations we were contemplating.. It all worked out to be an interesting and fun bake... with a real variety of finished products... as well as other items that were requested.

Helen's amazing talent is displayed in the introduction picture... She said this was a "fun bake" with great dough, that was very good and easy to work up... and also easy to work with on the shaping...This would be great dough for pizza. 

 The recipe we used had lardons and chopped onion cooked and then added... you can see Helen's nice big bacon bits.

    

These are Helen's breads before baking. You can tell that they are going to be great!

 Just out of the oven. LOVELY!!! Happy looking jack o lantern, and her two leaves.

In addition to baking these breads she was asked to make a cake for a friend for a going away party... the friend is moving to help with the family farm....

yep... this tells the whole story about which one of us is the talented cake decorating one!!!! The younger of our three... Go Helen!!! Beautiful.

My bake was a little more traditional ...  My dough got nice and bubbly... and as you can see, my bacon bits and onion bits are very tiny... a much different look,

.                                         

 I made a leaf and a pumpkin and a ghost.... 

 This WAS a fun bake as Helen menioned... and

I really feel that the dough will be made again and again for a variety of uses.  The recipe recommended brushing with olive oil and sprinkling with sea salt... next time I would cut way back on the salt... put me in mind of pretzels and detracted from the nice soft crumb. Very light bread... The recipe said it was the French take on Italian Focaccia and I can see that clearly.

My extra bake was a canister of three different cookies... oatmeal, pecan raisin; soft molasses, and snickerdoodles.

                                           

These are pretty good cookies and keep nicely in the cookie can.

 

Remember when I mentioned earlier we thought this dough would make great pizza? Well, while we were thinking that, our baking guru elder sister Barbra was creating that very thing...

 Doesn't that look great!!! 

   This one became a pepporoni jack-o-;lantern pizza.

but got baked and delivered before a finished picture could be taken. So just imagine it with eyes and a mouth made out of pepperoni and covered with cheese... Can you see it? Sure you can, me too!

This raw jack-o-lantern looks very tasty all baked up,,,Here it is resting before it goes in the oven.

                                             

He is looking more smiley here... since his teeth puffed up a bit.... LOL... so cute!

Barbs extra bake was some whole wheat sandwich bread her husband requested... since she makes it so well... pictures tell that story too,

Great looking bread, the crumb shot is a bit fuzzy, but by this time of day... we all were, and covered in flour!

All in all a fun day with my sisters....  

Next week we are baking our favorite "Starbucks" or "coffee shop" dessert... (hint: mine will start with pumpkin)

Then for Halloween we have a really special bake of Barbra's choice... 

Thanks for letting us share our sister time with you.

Happy baking and Happy Halloween!

Barbra, Diane, and Helen

 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

Halloween Fougasse Bake!  I'm so going to steal this for Halloween bread and pizza. You GMA;'s are so creative!  I can'lt wait to see what comes out of your ovens every week.  This week has to be the best yet.  That cake is beautiful too - so professional looking. Well done all the way around and happy baking with the sisters!  Now I'm thinking about Santa fougasse faces.!

gmabaking's picture
gmabaking

would be fun too, the big buckle could be mozza. First time shaping forms like this. After refusing to make scary shapes, I keep thinking of how a disconnected zombie hand with red peppers showing through the slashes would look....yucch!

Thanks for nice comments. Bacon and onion are the best combination ever.

Barb

aptk's picture
aptk

I'm going to try these shapes next time I bake bread with kids!

 

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

I especially love the pumpkin.  What a cute idea for the holidays.

Sylvia

CeciC's picture
CeciC

They are superb ! Great shaping and very creative!

I'm sure they taste fantastic. 

Cant wait to see ur next post

Isand66's picture
Isand66

What a creative and beautiful bake!  I love the addition of the bacon and onion and that pumpkin looked amazing.

Thanks for sharing your great baking with us.

Regards,
Ian

lepainSamidien's picture
lepainSamidien

The breads look fantastic ! You guys (or gmas, I should say) always have such interesting projects to read about; never a dull post !

Keep us current on your continuing adventures !