Test Kitchen: Roasted Red Pepper Fougasse

My friend Kay is getting married in August, and I am lucky enough to get to help in putting her bridal shower together. There's nothing I love more than parties! The invitations are all printed and sent, so now it's just on to the food. I've decided to make a couple of varieties of stuffed breads for the party, now that I am newly addicted to that no-knead dough. I have been dying to try out the Roasted Red Pepper Fougasse posted on the Artisan Bread in Five Blog, so this week I put one together as a test. I wanted to add a few more flavors though, since the recipe is pretty basic. It turned out beautifully, and Eric and I devoured the whole thing within 24 hours. Test kitchen success means this version will definitely be going to the party!

If you'd like to make a fougasse my way, you will need the following ingredients in addition to those called for in the ABin5 recipe:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
kosher salt
dried oregano

- Follow the ABin5 recipe to prep your dough and roast the peppers. If you don't have time for the peppers, you can use jarred roasted red peppers. However, you want to dry them very well on paper towels first!
- Spread minced garlic over the bottom.
- Sprinkle cheese over garlic and top with a layer of red pepper strips.
- Tear basil over peppers before folding the dough over and sealing the edges.
- Brush the outside with olive oil and sprinkle it with oregano and kosher salt.
- Bake as directed. Note: I skipped the "pan of water" step and had no problems with my bread being dry. This could be because I used jarred red peppers, though, so they up the moisture quite a bit. I suggest following the recipe the first time to see how your oven will do!

I think I'll do something with caramelized onions for the next version... maybe with goat cheese? Mmm mmm good!