We are delighted to share this recipe with you. Chef & author Aran Goyoaga has singlehandedly improved the quality of life for people living with gluten intolerance with her gluten-free cookbooks. Her new book, ‘The Art of Gluten-Free Bread,’’ offers 100 bread and pastry recipes.  Her recipe for Olive Fougasse, a crispy and chewy bread shaped like a grain of wheat, is a close cousin to focaccia and a favorite from her childhood travels to France. 

Ingredients:

MAKES 2 LARGE FOUGASSES

• 2 teaspoons (8 g) active dry yeast 
• 475 grams water, heated to 105°F (41°C) 
• 12 grams granulated sugar 
• 20 grams psyllium husk powder 
• 150 grams tapioca starch 
• 150 grams potato starch 
• 150 grams sorghum flour, plus more for dusting 
• Leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs, finely chopped 
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) kosher salt 
• 25 grams extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 
• 70 grams pitted Kalamata or green olives, chopped 
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling 
• Freshly ground black pepper, for sprinkling 
• 15 grams sesame seeds

Directions:

Make the yeast-psyllium mixture: Sprinkle the yeast into a medium bowl. Add the water and sugar and whisk until dissolved. Let the mixture sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the psyllium vigorously until smooth. Let it gel for 5 minutes. 

Make the dough: In a stand mixer, stir together the tapioca starch, potato starch, sorghum flour, rosemary, salt, and yeast-psyllium mixture. Snap on the dough hook and begin mixing on medium speed. Add the olive oil and continue mixing until you have a smooth dough. It will look dry initially, but it should come together into a smooth dough in 2 to 3 minutes. Add the olives and mix until they are thoroughly spread through the dough. The dough should feel moist and a little sticky but hold together nicely. 

Proof the dough: Brush a large bowl with some olive oil and transfer the dough into it. Turn the dough around to coat in oil and shape into a ball. Cover the bowl and let it ferment until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.  

Meanwhile, preheat the oven: Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°).

Shape the fougasses: Lightly dust a work surface with some sorghum flour. Transfer the dough to the surface. Using your fingertips, press down on the dough to gently stretch it into a round that is 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6 mm to 1.3 cm) thick. You can use a rolling pin if preferred, but be careful not to tear the dough. Using a bench knife or knife, vertically cut the dough in half. You should have two half-moons. Place one piece of dough on a sheet pan and the other on a second pan. Cut a center slash in the middle of each half-moon without cutting through the ends, then cut three slashes on each side. Gently pull apart the slashes so there is a nice opening in between. Again, be careful not to tear the dough. If you simply cut the slash but don’t separate the dough enough, it will end up baking together and not give you a nice opening in the dough. The dough can easily tear because it doesn’t have a lot of elasticity, so work gently. 

Bake the fougasses: Loosely cover one pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate it while you bake the other. Brush the top of the fougasse with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt, black pepper, and half of the sesame seeds. Place the pan in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Brush the second fougasse with olive oil, sprinkle with flaky salt, black pepper, and the remaining sesame seeds and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool the fougasses. Slide the fougasse loaves onto wire racks to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into them. They are best eaten the same day.