• In a large bowl, whisk together your sourdough starter, water, and olive oil until the starter dissolves. Add the bread flour and salt, and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Knead & stretch and folds

• After the dough has rested, knead the dough for 3-5 minutes or until it starts to come together. Using a little flour is okay to assist with stickiness.
• Once the dough feels stronger, place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. It is okay if the dough is still sticky. It is similar to a pizza dough consistency.
• After the dough has rested, perform two rounds of stretch and folds, spaced about 30 minutes apart to help build strength and structure.
• Once all stretch and folds have been completed, keep the dough in a warm spot (around 73°F / 23°C) and let it rise until nearly doubled in size (this usually takes about 5–8 hours, depending on your starter strength and room temperature.

Refrigerate the sourdough ghost fougasse dough

• Once the dough has doubled, place it in the refrigerator to rest overnight. The cold dough is much easier to shape the next day, and the overnight rest deepens the flavor beautifully.

  **Same-day option: You can shape and bake the dough on the same day if you prefer, just refrigerate it for at least 1 hour before shaping to make handling easier.

How to shape sourdough ghost fougasse

• Turn the cold dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into portions (about 4–6, depending on preference).
• Gently stretch each piece into a rough pear shape to resemble a ghost. I love using a handheld pizza roller for this! Use flour to assist with stickniess.
• Carefully transfer each dough piece to a parchment paper lined pan, cover it, and let them rest for 30 minutes.
• After the dough has rested, use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut two eyes and a mouth. Gently stretch the openings with your fingers, making them a little larger than you think . The dough will puff up and the holes will shrink slightly as it bakes. Take a moment to shape each one with a bit of personality-stretch the eyes or tilt the mouth to give your ghosts some spooky character!
• After all the ghost faces have been shaped, let them rest on the pan (covered) for 30-45 minutes before baking.

Bake the sourdough ghost fougasse

• While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Once the sourdough ghost fougasse has finished its final rest, brush each ghost with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh rosemary, sea salt, and your favorite herbs (Italian seasoning works wonderfully).
• Place the fougasse in the oven with a tray containing 1 cup of ice on the rack below to create steam. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the ice tray, reduce the temperature to 400°F, and bake for another 5–10 minutes, or until deeply golden and crisp.
• Let your ghost fougasse cool slightly before serving- they’re perfect warm, dipped in marinara sauce or served alongside a cozy fall soup. It is best enjoyed on the day of but can last for 1-2 days on the counter, wrapped tightly.