Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh, homemade bread just out of the oven? When the steam is still rising irresistibly, who can wait to let it cool before tearing off a piece and feeling that warm bread between their fingers? I don’t know about others, but homemade bread brings me one of the simplest and most beautiful joys. Today, I’m focusing on fougasse, a French bread originating from Provence, similar to Italian focaccia, but with a special shape: that of a leaf!
FOUGASSE: AN OLD STORY
Like focaccia, fougasse traces its roots back to ancient Rome. The Romans were making it way back then, so it’s no surprise that this type of bread has spread, in one form or another, throughout Europe. In antiquity, it was actually used to test the oven's temperature before baking other dishes. That’s why it carries this name; panis focacius, its Latin name, derives from focus, meaning fire. The French version I’m presenting today is characteristic of the Provence region, where it is prepared with various additions such as anchovies, olives, cheese, or local herbs. Not only is it simple and easy to make, but its charming leaf shape makes it instantly lovable!
Fougasse: The Basic Recipe
I call it the basic recipe because you can take it in any direction you like. By using your imagination or simply the ingredients you have on hand, you can add elements that turn it into a real treat. I prepared three types of fougasse based on the following basic recipe.
Ingredients:
500 g of flour
25 g of fresh yeast
350 ml of lukewarm water
10 g of salt
30 ml of olive oil
Preparation:
Pour the flour into a bowl and crumble the fresh yeast into it using your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the flour-yeast mixture and pour in the lukewarm water, salt, and 25 ml of olive oil. Mix initially with a wooden spoon, and when the dough begins to come together, knead it by hand on a work surface. Place the dough back into the bowl, pour the remaining oil around the edges, cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rise for about an hour*, during which it should double in size.
*Depending on the temperature in your home, the rising time may vary slightly.
Once the hour is up, take the elastic dough and knead it briefly before dividing it into smaller pieces*.
*I ended up with 900 g of dough, which I divided into three parts, wanting to make three different fougasse.
The characteristic leaf shape of fougasse is achieved by starting with a round piece of dough, which you roll out with a rolling pin until it becomes oval. With a knife, make a cut down the middle, then add a few more cuts on the sides. Optionally, you can make small cuts along the edges. Next, enrich it with your favorite ingredients and bake it in a preheated oven for about 16 minutes* at 230 degrees.
*Depending on your oven, the baking time may vary, so the best advice is to keep an eye on it to achieve your desired level of golden brown.
FOUGASSE WITH ANCHOVIES AND TOMATOES
For this type of fougasse, I only needed to add a few anchovy fillets preserved in olive oil and halved cherry tomatoes on top to achieve a flavor that instantly transports you to Provence.
FOUGASSE WITH OLIVES
Another classic version of fougasse is the one with olives. I couldn’t skip this one either, so it was definitely among those I made.
FOUGASSE WITH ROSEMARY
This version of fougasse may seem simple, but the aroma of rosemary makes it special. You can vary the herbs, so feel free to replace rosemary with something you prefer.
THE TWIST
I took three cloves of garlic, crushed them with a press, added three tablespoons of olive oil, and using a sprig of rosemary as a brush, I gently coated the three hot fougasse with the garlic-oil mixture to give them an irresistible aroma. If you’re not a fan of strong garlic, you can skip this step. But at least promise me you won’t skip the wine when faced with a basket of fougasse like the one below. 🙂
Comments