Olive Herb Fougasse
Quick answer
- Total time
- 50 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Fougasse is a flatbread from Provence in southern France, shaped with decorative slashes that resemble a leaf or wheat sheaf.
Read more
The dough is enriched with olive oil and studded with black olives, rosemary, and thyme, distributing pockets of briny, herbal flavor throughout the bread. The distinctive cuts increase the crust-to-crumb ratio, so thinner sections bake to a crisp finish while thicker areas remain soft and chewy. This variation in texture within a single piece gives fougasse its distinctive character. The surface is brushed with olive oil before baking, which produces a golden, glossy finish. It is especially good while still warm, when the crust is crisp and the crumb remains tender. It pairs naturally with southern French dishes, charcuterie boards, or a simple bowl of olive oil for dipping.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Warm 190 ml water until just lukewarm, then stir in 5 g instant yeast and leave it for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix 300 g bread flour with 5 g salt so the salt is evenly distributed.
- 2Prep
Pour the yeast water into the flour mixture and stir until no dry flour remains.
Add 20 ml olive oil and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and only lightly tacky.
- 3Prep
Pat 70 g black olives dry and chop them roughly so they do not release too much moisture.
Fold in the olives, 3 g rosemary, and 2 g thyme briefly, distributing them without tearing the dough.
- 4Control
Cover the bowl and proof the dough in a warm place for about 60 minutes.
It is ready when it has nearly doubled and a fingertip mark slowly springs back instead of filling in immediately.
- 5Prep
Press the dough gently to remove only large bubbles, then stretch it into a broad leaf shape.
Cut one long center slit and several side slits, then pull each opening wide so it does not close while baking.
- 6Heat
Rest the shaped dough for 15 minutes while heating the oven to 220°C.
Brush with the remaining 10 ml olive oil and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden and thin sections feel crisp.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Olive herb flat bread from Provence featuring decorative slashes for a leaf-like shape.
- Finish cue
- Brush with the remaining 10 ml olive oil and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden and thin sections feel crisp.
- Avoid this
- Pull the leaf-shaped slits wide during shaping so they do not close while baking.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
50min, 8 ingredients
Category median
55min, 8 ingredients
Based on 248 recipes
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