BreadsProvencal RecipesTasteViktorija Todorovska

Fougasse the Provencal Version of Italy’s Focaccia

This recipe for Fougasse with Tomatoes, Olives, and Peppers is a hearty appetizer that your guests will love. Fougasse is a flat bread that you find in both sweet and savoury versions. According to Wikipedia, “Fougasse was traditionally used to assess the temperature of a wood fired oven. The time it would take to bake gives an idea of the oven temperature and whether the rest of the bread can be loaded.”

The ingredients for fougasse and focaccia dough are mostly the same. However, the real difference is during the baking stage. Before baking, the fougasse dough is scored with a knife to create openings, once baked the finished product looks like a leaf or perhaps (to some) a shaft of wheat. Fougasse is baked on a hot stone (like a pizza stone), which traditionally was the hearth, whereas focaccia cooks in a deep, oiled pan. So this Provencal bread – fougasse – ends up being crispier than it’s Italian “cousin.”

This recipe is one of many from this cookbook, Provence Food and Wine: The Art of Livingblank with photos by François Millo.

Fougasse Tomatoes Olives Peppers @SipTasteShare

Fougasse with Tomatoes, Olives, and Peppers

This fougasse is rich and savory, almost a meal in and of itself. Pair with a more structured, but dry rosé for a perfect aperitif.
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breads
Cuisine French, Provencal
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

For the Dough:

  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 packet Instant Dry Yeast
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil plus more for brushing

For the Filling:

  • 2 Medium tomatoes seeded and chopped
  • 5 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Red Peppers cored and cut into strips
  • 2 Yellow Peppers cored and cut into strips
  • 2 Green peppers cored and cut into strips
  • 2 medium Onions chopped
  • 1 cup Green or Black Olives pitted and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme minced
  • ½ teaspoon Fresh rosemary minced
  • 1 teaspoon Fresh Savory minced
  • ½ teaspoon Sea Salt plus more to taste

Instructions
 

Prepare the Dough:

  • In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
  • In a cup dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the sugar, stir, and let sit for 5-7 minutes, until the yeast starts to bubble.
  • Add to the flour, stir and add the olive oil.
  • Mix well to combine. If the dough is too wet, add more flour. The dough should not be sticky.
  • Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 8-10 minutes.
  • Form the dough into a ball, place in a large, lightly-oiled bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free warm place for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until double in size.

Prepare the Filling:

  • In a medium (4- to 5-quart [3.8- to 4.7-L]) pan, warm up 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
  • Add the peppers and a sprinkling of salt and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the peppers soften.
  • In another medium (4- to 5-quart [3.8- to 4.7-L]) pan, warm up the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Punch down dough and halve.
  • Pat each half into an oval about 1/4 inch thick.
  • Transfer one oval to a lightly oiled large baking sheet. Layer with the tomatoes, onions and olives.
  • Cover with the second oval and press the edges to close the fougasse.
  • Score the top diagonally.
  • Layer the peppers on top, alternating the three colors for visual appeal.
  • Sprinkle with sea salt and the herbs.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the fougasse is golden.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Please share this with friends and family.

All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication Information
Affiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Previous post

Aix-en-Provence: News from the Excavations Construction Update

Next post

Expat Life in France and the Opportunity to Run a Luxury B&B

Viktorija Todorovska

Viktorija Todorovska

A Mediterranean soul, Viktorija Todorovska loves nothing better than exploring the foods, wines, and trails of this sunny region, savouring life. Currently living in Nice, she immerses herself in the art of living

Cookbook author, teacher, and sommelier, Viktorija is passionate about sharing her knowledge of food and wine with the world. She writes, teaches classes and guides travellers through her favourite towns and villages. Find out more about Viktorija on her website Sip Taste Share.

Meet Viktorija and discover the secrets of Provencal rosé during her weekly Rosé Wine Tasting with Niçoise Street Food class at Les Petits Farcis in Nice's Old Town.

Check out Viktorija’s books on Provence:

Provence Food and Wine: The Art of Living
and
Nice Cuisine and the Art of Living

Don't forget to follow Viktorija on social media (links below).

2 Comments

  1. blank
    September 1, 2018 at 8:04 am — Reply

    This looks fantastic, Viktorija! I can’t wait to try it. The bell peppers have been so sweet this summer…

    • blank
      September 1, 2018 at 8:56 am — Reply

      Hi David: This recipe looks like it belongs in your repertoire, maybe a warm-up for your Italian culinary adventure.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.