Herb and Olive Fougasse

Crispy, salty, spongy and chewy herb and olive fougasse bread with a rustic charm.

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Hello HTS Community

Fougasse is french flat bread similar to Italian Focaccia. The crispy crust and then a salty, spongy and chewy crumb is the highlight. The unique design of the bread adds a rustic charm. Fougasse is traditionally shaped like an ear of wheat or a leaf with freeform slits mimicking veins in the leaf. Mine surely looks like a philodendron leaf.

There are no rolling pins, no hand or stand mixer, no dutch oven or bread pans required. You shape and design the bread right on baking sheet and embrace the natural beauty. It’s best to serve warm right out of the oven, or tear pieces with your hands and dip in a yogurt-garlic sauce. Easy recipe when you have crowds to feed. I have put down recipe for both sourdough and yeast method, but the pictures belong to sourdough method. I am using dried oregano and thyme along with fresh basil in the bread. You can use herbs that are available in your pantry.

If you like this bread, also try other Bread recipes from Hungry Tired Sleepy.

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Ingredients you will need for Herb and Olive Fougasse

For Yeast Method

• Bread flour/ All Purpose flour- 250g
• Water- 168 ml
• Instant yeast- 2 teaspoon
• Salt- 5g, more for sprinkling
• Herbs- 2 teaspoon (Basil/ Oregano/ Thyme)
• Olives- 1 tablespoon, chopped
• Olive oil- 2 teaspoon, for brushing
• Semolina + flour- 1 tablespoon, for dusting

For Sourdough Method

• Bread flour- 250g
• Water- 168 ml
• Active sourdough starter- 63g
• Salt- 5g, more for sprinkling
• Herbs- 2 teaspoon (Basil/ Oregano/ Thyme)
• Olives- 1 tablespoon, chopped
• Olive oil- 2 teaspoon, for brushing
• Semolina + flour- 1 tablespoon, for dusting

Steps for Yeast method:

• In a large bowl mix all ingredients except for olive oil to form a sticky dough. Transfer the dough in another greased bowl, cover the bowl with a damp towel and keep aside for 1 hour or until doubles in size.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and dust the work surface with flour and semolina mixture and take the dough out on it. It will be loose, but don’t worry, this is what we need.
• Lift the dough and put it on the baking sheet. Press with your palm in a flat oval. Using a pizza cutter or blade make 2 cuts in a line going down the center of the oval. Then make 10 diagonal cuts, 5 on each side looking like a leaf. Stretch the dough out with fingers to emphasise on the holes. Refer to the images in sourdough method section.
• Cover the tray with a damp towel and let the bread proof for 20 minutes. In the meanwhile preheat the oven at 200 degree celsius.
• Brush the top of the bread with olive oil and sprinkle oregano. Bake for 20-25 minutes until it is golden. Take out of the oven, brush with more olive oil and sprinkle little salt. Enjoy while warm.

Steps for Sourdough method:

• In a large bowl mix all ingredients except for olive oil to form a sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and keep aside for 1/2 hour. Perform a series of 4 stretch and folds every 30 minutes. Notice how the dough is becoming stronger and stretchier with each fold. Leave the dough to rise for 3 hours, or until doubled in size. Yours can take longer or shorter depending on the temperature in your kitchen.

• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and dust the work surface with flour and semolina mixture and take the dough out on it. It will be loose, but don’t worry, this is what we need.
• Lift the dough and put it on the baking sheet. Press with your palm in a flat oval. Using a pizza cutter or blade make 2 cuts in a line going down the center of the oval. Then make 10 diagonal cuts, 5 on each side looking like a leaf. Stretch the dough out with fingers to emphasise on the holes.
• Cover the tray with a damp towel and let the bread proof for 20 minutes. In the meanwhile preheat the oven at 200 degree celsius.
• Brush the top of the bread with olive oil and sprinkle oregano. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until it is golden. Take out of the oven, brush with more olive oil and sprinkle little salt. Enjoy while warm.