Roasted pumpkin fougasse

Roasted pumpkin fougasse.

I simply adore pumpkin and refuse to waste any food if at all possible so this is how the Roasted pumpkin fougasse came about. I am of the opinion that fresh bread is always best served with company. As a share and tear loaf , this fits the bill perfectly as well as looking so pretty in the middle of the table, before the feeding frenzy that is! You can roast a chunk of pumpkin or squash especially for this dish but why not use up the chunks of pumpkin leftover from carving your jack o’lantern? A bonus treat.

Roasted pumpkin chunks

Ingredients

500g strong white bread flour

320 ml warm water

A cereal bowl full of roasted pumpkin pieces, skin off and chopped into cubes.

1 heaped tsp dried active yeast

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

salt and pepper

(finely sliced red onion and a sprig of rosemary adds to this dish nicely if you have them to hand.)

How to

• In a jug combine the water, sugar and yeast and allow the yeast to activate.
• In a big bowl put the flour, oil and salt. When the yeast is foaming nicely add to the flour and combine to form a dough.
• Tip onto the worksurface and kneed for 10 minutes until elastic and smooth.
• Place in an oiled bowl, cover (I use a shower cap!) and leavefor 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 220c
• Add the pumpkin to the dough and combine well. This will knock the dough back. Don’t be too heavy handed as you want chunks of dough visible not a layer of puree in the bread. If you are using the finely sliced onion and rosemary add them now too.
• Flour a baking tray well. On the work surface push out the dough with your fngertips into a rough teardrop shape. If the dough is too big for your baking tray then use another and make two smaller fougasse.
• Lay the teardrop shaped dough onto the floured tray, take a pizza cutter or a sharp knife and make cuts as in the picture, one down the centre and two or three where the veins of a leaf would be. Gently pull these open.

Waiting to prove again.

• Cover and leave to rise again for 30 minutes,
• Drizzle with a little oil, season with salt flakes and freshly ground pepper.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and well risen.
• Devour.

Make absolute sense to add this to October’s Credit crunch munch.

This month it is being hosted by Hannah over at A new addition, taking on this challenge run so ably by Helen at Fuss free flavours and Camilla at Fab Food 4 All

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