Einkorn Breakfast Bread with Figs & Pistachios

Recipe by Shaye Elliott. From the same family of ancient Roman flatbreads where we get focaccia, Fougasse is a traditional French recipe with a beautiful presentation. There are two tricks to getting the beautiful wheat-shaped design—one is a sharp knife. Secondly, after you slice your pattern, you’ll want to stretch the dough to open the cuts a bit, so that they bake up wide and nicely accentuated. Made with Jovial Einkorn Flour and the addition of our Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the resulting loaf will be crusty and extra flavorful, with plenty of tear-able edges for dipping into sauces and olive oil. We’ve made this recipe on the sweeter side, filled with figs and pistachios, but feel free to swap for olives and add herbs for a savory version. Have patience, the dough may be sticky and turn out rustic, but that is part of the charm!

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the warm water, active dry yeast, honey, olive oil, and roughly half of the flour. Stir well to combine. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until slightly bubbly and frothy.
2. To the same bowl, add in the rest of the flour and salt. Mix well again before adding in the figs and pistachios. Stir to combine. The dough will be fairly wet and sticky.
3. Cover the bowl with a damp towel, place in a warm spot in the kitchen, and let rise for 1.5 hours or until nearly doubled in size.
4. Transfer the sticky dough to a generously floured work surface. Divide the dough in two.
5. Use your fingers to shape the dough into an oval, roughly 10" long and 1 1/2" thick.
6. Transfer the dough oval to a piece of parchment paper. Set aside and repeat with the remaining dough.
7. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit down the middle of each oval, taking care to not cut through the ends. Use the knife to cut a few smaller diagonal slits on each side of the larger middle slit. Use floured fingertips to stretch the dough out slightly, accentuating the size of the slits to create decorative openings in the bread. 
8. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 hour while the oven preheats to 375ºF.
9. Brush olive oil gently over the top of the bread. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.