Fougasse is a traditional Provençal bread, distinct from Italian focaccia by its crispier crust, less oily texture, and characteristic leaf-like shape. This recipe highlights a version with olives and rosemary, evoking the flavors of the South of France.
The preparation involves a simple dough, a two-stage rise, and crucial scoring that creates numerous crispy edges. While quick to make, preparing the dough a day ahead enhances its complex flavors. Baked for 12-15 minutes until golden, fougasse is best served warm as an aperitif with tapenade or alongside summer meals, often paired with chilled rosé, offering a generous, golden, and airy crumb.
Click the stars to rate!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Fougasse is clearly the bread I love to serve my friends in summer! To me, it is the taste of the South of France, the kind of bread you find piled up on every market stall between Marseille and Nice. Fougasses is similar to the Italian foccacia but has a crispier crust, is less oily and is shaped by hand.
The great thing is that you can top it however you like! I love adding rosemary and a green olives. I usually make it the same day (I often forget to do it the day before!), but I’ll show you how to make it ahead if you have time.
You’ll find the full recipe card below but don’t skip the article, I’ve added lots on tips on the dough, the scoring, and ideas for new toppings.
Recipe Card
Fougasse with Olives and Rosemary
Click on the stars to rate!
A Provençal fougasse with olives and rosemary, generous, golden and crisp, with an airy, soft crumb. Perfect for an aperitif or a summer meal.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Course Snack
Cuisine French
Servings 2 fougasses
Calories 1330 kcal
Print Recipe
Preparing the dough
-
Add the flour to the bowl of your stand mixer, then add the dry yeast and mix. Add the salt and mix again. Drizzle in the cold water and olive oil and start kneading at medium speed (level 2).
-
About 2 minutes before the end of kneading, add the dried rosemary. Knead until you have a smooth, supple dough that pulls away from the sides — a total of 8 to 10 minutes.
-
Cover the bowl with a clean damp cloth and leave to rest at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume, about 1 to 1.5 hour.
Shaping and scoring
-
Press the dough down with your fist to release the air. Divide into two equal pieces and leave to rest for 15 to 20 minutes, covered with a kitchen towel, to allow the gluten to relax.
-
Roll out each piece into an elongated oval, about ½ inch (1.5cm) thick, and transfer to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet.
-
Score each fougasse in a leaf pattern: two cuts down the center lengthwise and 3 diagonal cuts on each side. Pull the openings wide apart with your fingers — much wider than you think necessary. Scatter the olives (I keep some whole, others roughly chopped), pressing them lightly into the dough with your fingers.
-
Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 475°F (240°C) fan.
Baking
-
Mix a drizzle of olive oil with 1 tsp dried rosemary and brush over the fougasse just before baking. Finish with a pinch of fleur de sel or flaky sea salt.
-
Bake immediately for 12-15 minutes, until deep golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom. Serve warm.
Calories: 1330kcal | Carbohydrates: 196g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 33g | Sodium: 2735mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 13mg
Fougasse or Focaccia: What’s the Difference?
Fougasse comes from Provence, and is the market bread of the South of France, the one that bakers in Nice and Marseille have always had on their shelves, alongside pissaladière, socca or pan bagnat.
Outside France, focaccia is much better known, and the two are sometimes confused. It’s true that, both types of bread start from the same base: a bread dough made with olive oil, herbs and salt. But the preparation is slightly different, and so is the result.
Focaccia is baked in a pan or on a sheet that’s much more heavily oiled than fougasse, and the dough spreads edge to edge. It remains thick, spongy and saturated with oil. Fougasse, on the other hand, is shaped by hand on a baking sheet, then scored into a leaf or ear shape before baking. It’s flatter, which means crispier edges and an. It’s flatter, and therefore crispier. In fact, the incisions are made to obtain as much crust as possible, so that’s what you’re looking for with a fougasse: crispness!
How to Score Fougasse the Right Way
This is the step that intimidates most people — and yet it’s exactly what gives fougasse its character and its crispy texture after baking. No need to stress though: mine isn’t perfect either, and that’s part of the charm. That rustic, homemade look is the whole point.
Once the dough has risen, been divided in two, and the pieces have rested, here’s how to shape your fougasse:
- Roll out the dough: Press the dough into a rough oval with the palms of your hands, then roll it out with a rolling pin to about 1.5 cm thick (don’t go too thin!). Transfer onto an oiled baking sheet.
- Make the cuts: Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, make two cuts down the center lengthwise, then three diagonal cuts on each side, like the veins of a leaf.
- Open the slits wide: This is the most important step. Pull each slit open with your fingers, much wider than you think necessary. The dough will keep rising during the final proof and in the oven, and those slits will close right back up if you don’t open them enough (it happened to me a little as you can see on the photo!).
- Press in the olives and brush: Now press the olives lightly into the dough. Just before going into the oven, brush generously with olive oil mixed with dried rosemary — and always finish with a pinch of fleur de sel. That little crunch after baking is everything.
Why Isn’t My Fougasse Rising?
This is one of the most common issues, and it usually comes down to one of three things:
- Your yeast was dead: Especially, if you are using fresh yeast, you can check it by mixing your yeast with water at 68°F (20°C), a spoonful of flour from the total quantity, and a teaspoon of sugar (no worries if it’s not in the recipe, it just feeds the yeast and you won’t taste it). Leave it for 15 minutes. If you see bubbles forming, the yeast is active; if not, take a new yeast. Then pour this mixture into the flour and salt and continue the recipe.
- The first rise wasn’t long enough: The dough really needs to double in volume, which can take up to 1.5 to 2 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is. In winter, place the bowl near a radiator. Same goes for the second rise, the fougasse needs to visibly puff up before it goes in the oven.
- The oven wasn’t hot enough: Fougasse needs lots of heat (at least 230°C/450°F, ideally 240–250°C/475°F) to rise up fast when it hits the oven. Make sure to preheat your oven and don’t open the oven door for the first 10 minutes.
How to Tell When Your Fougasse Is Done
Honestly, the easiest way is to look at the color of your fougasse. It should be golden brown, almost amber on top, with darker edges. If you feel it, do the test: tap the underside with your fingertips. If it sounds hollow, it’s done!
How to Make Fougasse the Day Before
The purists of Nice (and all of Provence, really) will tell you that you absolutely must make the dough the day before and let it rest overnight — otherwise it’s not a real fougasse. They’re not wrong: like for most breads, a slow overnight rise gives the yeast time to develop properly and bring out all those aromas. The crumb ends up more fragrant and complex. It’s not required here with my recipe, but if you have the time, do it.
To do this:
- Prepare your dough in the evening and instead of letting it rise at room temperature for 1h30, cover the bowl with oiled cling film or a damp cloth, and place it in the fridge.
- The next day, take it out an hour before you start shaping it – it needs to come back to room temperature to be supple and easy to work with.
- Then continue the recipe as indicated in the recipe card.
Day 1
Day 2
Tips & Variations
If, like me, you love to vary your recipes, here are a few ideas for your next fougasse:
- Cheese: add grated cheese before baking, it’s delicous!
- Bacon and onion: Swap the olives for sautéed bacon lardons and thinly sliced onion. Perfect for a fall aperitif.
- Sun-dried tomato and parmesan: Fold in a few chopped sun-dried tomatoes and sprinkle with grated parmesan before baking. The crust gets even crispier.
- Calzone-style: Since we’re basically working with pizza dough anyway — roll the fougasse into a circle, fill it with cheese and ham, seal it shut, and you’ve got a little calzone. You can still score the top to get that signature shape.
Storage & Reheating
Fougasse is best served the same day, still warm. To store it, wrap it in a clean cloth, never in plastic film or an airtight container, otherwise the crust will soften. To reheat, sprinkle a few drops of cold water over the crust (it brings the crispiness right back) and pop it in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 5 minutes.
You can also freeze fougasse after baking — wrap it well in foil, then in a freezer bag. It keeps for up to 3 months. To serve, put it straight in the oven from frozen at 180°C/350°F for 10 minutes and it comes out crispy as the day it was baked.
What to serve fougasse with?
IThis is the Provençal aperitif — fougasse on the table, a chilled rosé in hand, and you’re halfway to the Mediterranean already. Set it out with a bowl of black tapenade or green tapenade and a Provencal aioli. Everyone helps themselves by tearing off pieces – it’s super convivial!
For a full summer meal, serve it alongside a traditional ratatouille — that’s as Provençal as it gets. It also works beautifully with your summer salads or BBQs. And if you want to try its Italian cousin, my focaccia with oregano is just as easy to pull together.
FAQ
What’s the difference between focaccia and fougasse?
Both are Mediterranean flatbreads made with olive oil and herbs. Focaccia is Italian, baked in a mold with lots of oil, thick and fluffy. Fougasse is Provençal, shaped by hand on a baking sheet and incised in the shape of a leaf, it is crispier and less fatty.
Can fougasse be eaten hot or cold?
It’s best served warm or lukewarm, straight from the oven. It stays good at room temperature for a few hours, but the crust loses some of its crispness as it cools. Reheat it in the oven for 5 minutes if you want to restore its texture.
Is it possible to prepare fougasse the day before?
Yes and it’s actually better that way (though totally fine same-day if you’re short on time!). Make the dough the night before and let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight. Take it out one hour before shaping the next day. The slow fermentation builds deeper, more interesting flavor.
Can you make fougasse without a stand mixer?
Absolutely — it just takes a bit more elbow grease! The dough has relatively low hydration and the olive oil keeps it smooth and manageable. Knead by hand for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Can you freeze fougasse?
Yes. Let it cool completely after baking, wrap in foil, and place in a freezer bag. It keeps for up to 3 months. To serve, put it straight in the oven from frozen at 180°C/350°F for 10 minutes — it comes out crispy and fresh as the day it was baked.
More Provencal recipes
Hinweis: Externer Inhalt von https://lacuisinedegeraldine.fr/en/fougasse-recipe. Rechte bei den jeweiligen Urhebern. » Mehr… » Melden
