Fougasse Monégasque

About This Recipe

Fougasse is the decorative bread of Provence and Monaco — shaped like a leaf or wheat sheaf with slashes that open as it bakes, creating a lacy, crisp-edged loaf. The Monegasque version is enriched with local olive oil and sometimes studded with olives or herbs. It is sold at every bakery along the port and is perfect torn and shared at the table.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 400 gstrong white bread flour
• 7 ginstant dried yeast
• 5 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tspfine salt
• 1 tbspfresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 80 gblack olives, pitted and halved

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, yeast, and salt. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and 240 ml warm water. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and prove 1 hour until doubled.

2. 2

   Shape

   Turn dough onto a floured surface. Press into a rough oval about 1.5 cm thick. Transfer to a lined baking sheet.

3. 3

   Cut the pattern

   Using a sharp knife or scissors, make diagonal slashes through the dough in a leaf-vein pattern. Gently stretch the slashes open.

4. 4

   Top and rest

   Press olives and rosemary into the surface. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Rest 20 minutes while preheating oven to 220 °C.

5. 5

   Bake

   Bake for 18–20 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool slightly before tearing and serving.

Variations

• •

  Add sun-dried tomatoes or capers to the topping.

• •

  Make a sweet version with orange zest and anise seeds.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Best on the day; freeze whole loaves up to 1 month.

Frequently Asked Questions