Onion Bacon Fougasse Recipes

Steps:

• Mix 200g of the flour with all the yeast and approx 150ml water in a bowl, and beat together into a thick batter for 3 mins. Leave to rise and then fall, this should happen in 3-4 hrs. Then add the rest of the flour, salt, water and oil, and mix well. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead to a smooth dough. Put back in the bowl to rise for a further 1 hour until doubled in size.
• Line 3 baking sheets with baking parchment. Knock back the dough, then knead to incorporate the onion and bacon. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, about 225g each. Use a rolling pin to flatten out each piece to about 2.5cm high, then shape roughly into a circle. Put on the baking sheets. Using a sharp knife cut three diagonal slashes right through the dough down each side and two down the middle to form the shape of a leaf. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, if you like, and leave for a further hour to prove until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8 and bake the loaves for 15 mins until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Serve cut into wedges.

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until fat has rendered and bacon is evenly browned but not yet crisped, about 5 minutes.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Add onions to the pan with the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until onions are soft and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Lower heat to a simmer and add balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon water.
• Simmer until jam comes together, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon water and remove from heat.

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a mixing bowl. For easy-blend dried yeast, stir this into the flour. For fresh yeast, crumble it and rub into the flour as you would with butter when making pastry. Add the salt and sugar.
• Boil the kettle and measure 100ml into a jug. Top up with cold water to the 300ml mark. Test the temperature with your finger - it should feel perfectly hand-hot. Add the oil.
• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid all at once. Mix quickly using your hands or a wooden fork to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Wipe the dough around the bowl to pick up any loose flour.
• Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip out the dough. Knead by stretching it away from you, then folding it in half towards you and pushing it away with the heel of your hand. Give it a quarter turn and repeat, developing a rhythm.
• When the dough is smooth, put it back into the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 1 hr (no need to find a warm place). The dough is ready when it springs back when you press it with your finger.
• Thinly slice the onion and gently cook in the oil until softened, about 5 mins. Cut the gruyère into small cubes. Chop half the rosemary.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead in the onion and chopped rosemary.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half. Roll or press out one piece of dough to a rectangular shape about 20cm x 25cm, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper. Make a large diagonal cut across the centre of the dough almost to the ends. Make three smaller diagonal cuts either side of the large cut to make a leaf shape.
• Repeat with the other piece of dough. Stick gruyère cubes and rosemary sprigs into the dough at intervals, then sprinkle with a little flour and sea salt. Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 8. Leave the loaves to prove for 20 mins then bake for 13-15 mins until golden. Serve warm with soups and starters.

Steps:

• Take the bacon out of its packaging with the slices still stuck together and place on a cutting board. Cut the bacon, still stacked, crosswise into ½-inch slices to create little bacon pieces, also known as lardons. Add to a large rimmed sheet pan. Halve and thinly slice the onions. Add to the sheet pan as well. Drizzle the olive oil over the bacon and onions, season with salt and pepper, and toss until evenly coated.
• Place the sheet pan in a cold oven and then heat the oven to 450 degrees. Roast until the bacon has rendered much of its fat but is still pink and the onions are slightly charred in spots but not too dark, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Smash the garlic cloves with the side of your knife and thinly slice them. When the bacon and onions have had their 20 to 25 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven and stir in the garlic, red-pepper flakes, herbes de Provence and vermouth. Place the pan back in the oven and continue cooking until the vermouth is almost evaporated, and the bacon and onions look jammy and caramelized but not burnt, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Cook the pasta according to package instructions. (Don't overcook it, as angel hair can go from bouncy to soggy in seconds). Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
• Carefully transfer everything from the pan to the pot with the cooked pasta. Add the parsley and Parmesan to the pasta, and toss until evenly combined, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid if the sauce needs thinning out. Taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed, and serve immediately.