The delight of my region: fouées
A bit of history
A speciality from western France, fouées (also called fouaces) are as simple as they are delicious.
In the Middle Ages, they served as a way for the baker to test whether his bread oven had reached the right temperature. He would take a small ball of dough, flatten it in his hand, and throw it onto the stone floor of the oven. If it puffed up quickly, the oven was ready.
And to avoid wasting it, the baker would fill this little ball of dough – a kind of hollow bread with no crumb – with whatever ingredients were on hand: rillettes, pâté, cheese…
Simple, quick and delicious — best enjoyed with a Saumur or a Chinon. Treat yourself!
Ingredients (for around 20 fouées)
- 1 kg type 55 flour
- 12 g salt
- 60 cl lukewarm water
- A dash of olive oil (about 3 ml)
- 35 g fresh yeast or 10 g dried yeast
Method
1. Prepare the dough
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.
Mix the salt with the flour and make a well.
Pour the diluted yeast (or fresh yeast) into the well and start mixing.
Add the remaining flour until the dough comes together and is fairly smooth.
2. Knead
Knead vigorously, slapping the dough onto the work surface for about 15 minutes.
Form a ball, place it on a floured surface and cover with plastic film.
Leave to rest for one hour.
3. Shape the fouées
Divide the dough into about 20 small pieces.
Roll each one out thinly on a floured surface.
Place them on a floured tea towel, cover, and leave to rise for another hour.
4. Bake
Preheat the oven to 250°C.
Place the fouées on a hot baking tray.
Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until they puff up and the edges turn golden.
Savoury fillings (to add as soon as they come out of the oven)
- rillettes
- goat’s cheese
- garlic butter
- mushroom duxelles
- dill cream
Serve warm, with lamb’s lettuce on the side for a perfect regional meal.
Enjoy your meal, with warm greetings from Camping de Fierbois!
