Method

• 1.
  Place flour, yeast and 2/3 cup water in a medium bowl and mix until well combined and a wet, sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 2 hours.
• 2.
  At the same time, place the olives, chopped rosemary and oil together in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 2 hours.
• 3.
  Place extra torn rosemary and extra oil in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season well. Set aside at room temperature until ready for serving.
• 4.
  Transfer yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add ¾ cup water, rye flour, the extra flour, then place the extra dried yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the other side of the bowl (if the yeast and salt touch each other at this stage the salt will prevent the yeast from activating).
• 5.
  Knead on low speed for 4 minutes, then turn up to medium speed and knead for 6 minutes. Add the olive mixture and turn up the speed to medium-high and knead for 2-3 minutes or until combined (don't worry if all of the olives don’t get mixed through at this stage).
• 6.
  Transfer the olive dough to a large, lightly greased, bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size (see notes).
• 7.
  Preheat oven to 250C/230C fan-forced.
• 8.
  Scrape out olive dough onto a flour dusted chopping board or clean bench top. Divide dough in half and gently pat out to a small rectangle. Fold each corner inwards so that they overlap at centre (book fold) and re-shape into a small triangle.
• 9.
  Transfer each triangle, seam side down, to a lightly floured piece of baking paper. Use a floured rolling pin to roll each triangle out to a 1/2 cm thick large and roughly shaped teardrop. Use a pastry cutter or butter knife to cut a long strip down the centre of each teardrop, then 3 angled slits on either side. Use your fingertips to stretch each slit out gently.
• 10.
  Transfer each uncooked fougasse, on their piece of baking paper, to a large baking tray.
• 11.
  Bake each fougasse, separately, in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until cooked when base is tapped and fougasse sounds hollow and top is golden. Remove from oven and immediately brush with the reserved rosemary oil. Stand on tray for 5 minutes. Serve warm.