From Patricia Wells "The Provence Cookbook"
I've made this several times and find that she is too rough with her dough. My changes are in parentheses.
BLACK OLIVE FOUGASSE
BLACK OLIVE BREAD
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
1 tbl EVOO
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 lb bread flour
About 20 black olives from Nyons – pitted and halved (I couldn't find olives from Nyons, I used a mix of kalamata and cerignola)
Salt wash
2 tsp cold water
½ tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp EVOO
Mix yeast sugar and water. Foam, add oil and salt.
Add flour gradually. Mix then knead 4- 5 minutes until soft and satiny.
Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 450.
Punch down and knead olives into dough. Divide into half. Shape into balls. Roll or stretch into rectangle 10 X 15 inches. (I don't like a rolling pin on bread, makes it tough. I prefer to gently stretch, and coax the dough into shape with frequent rests. Let gravity help if you can.) Cut slashes into bread to look like veins of a leaf
Transfer to baking sheets. Gently pull apart at slashes. Prick dough all over with a fork. (I don't do this) Whisk water salt and oil. Brush the dough with the wash. Cover and let rest 15 minutes.
Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake until firm and golden – 15 – 20 minutes.