Fougasse is a French flatbread from Provence shaped and cut to look like a leaf or an ear of wheat. Like the French cousin of Italian focaccia, this “hearth bread” features a chewy, crusty texture and rustic savory flavor. This recipe requires making a preferment a day ahead of time (takes less than 5 minutes!), which is key for developing flavor and structure.
Like the French cousin of focaccia, fougasse is a rustic, olive oilโkissed flatbread meant for sharing, tearing, and dipping. Traditionally shaped and slashed to resemble a leaf or stalk of wheat, those signature cuts create extra crispy surface area as it bakes.
While we arenโt using the exact method youโd learn in a bread class in France, this streamlined version delivers consistent, bakery-worthy results in your home kitchen. Itโs also a wonderful introduction to preferment breadsโan impressive home baking project that youโll feel proud to pull from the oven.
Turn on your favorite French cafรฉ playlist, get out the olive oil, and letโs bake!
One reader, Yvonne, commented: “Intimidating, but honestly super simple and a definite crowd pleaser. I always check this website first for recipes; the explanations are so clear and I love how much I learn! This fougasse was easily the most attractive bread I’ve personally baked and definitely on the simple side, despite the number of steps. Thanks for this and all the other great recipes! โ โ โ โ โ ”
Another reader, Ann, commented: “This is a delicious recipe! I’ve been curious about fougasse and was so glad that I could try it at home! I have a solid sourdough starter, so I used it in place of the biga. This is full of flavor, and I love the whole wheat in it adding texture and nuttiness! โ โ โ โ โ ”
Another reader, Heather, commented: “The bread was delicious! I love trying something new and challenging. Even though this recipe takes some time, much of it is hands off and it’s well worth it. Perfect for a nice dinner! The directions were easy to follow and all the pictures were super helpful! โ โ โ โ โ ”
What Is Fougasse?
Fougasse is a crusty French flatbread from Provence with a deeply savory flavor and beautifully contrasted texture. Think of it as somewhere between rustic bread crust and a thin focaccia. Hereโs what makes it so special:
- Savory and aromatic: Olive oil richness with notes from herbs like rosemary or thyme.
- Crispy exterior: Thanks to its thin shaping and decorative slashes.
- Chewy interior: Especially when made with bread flour and a preferment.
- Add-ins are welcome: Fougasse is often studded with black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and/or cheese (like Gruyรจre or Parmesan). But even in its simplest formโolive oil, salt, and herbsโitโs deeply satisfying.
How We Tested This Recipe
This fougasse went through multiple rounds of testing to get the flavor, texture, and structure just right.
My team and I experimented with:
- Different yeast amounts
- Warm vs. room-temperature water
- Various ratios of bread flour to whole wheat flour
- Baking at both 425ยฐF and 450ยฐF
- Adjusting the olive oil for tenderness & flavor
Some versions turned out too dense. One was far too dry and wouldnโt even come together. Others were softer but lacked structure. The final version (below) strikes the balance we were looking for: crisp edges, a chewy interior, and enough olive oil to keep the crumb tender without losing that rustic character.
Though long and sometimes frustrating, the testing process confirmed something important: small adjustments in hydration, whole wheat percentage, and yeast make a big difference in a hearth-style bread like this.
What most fougasse recipes have in common:
- Bread flour (often with some whole wheat)
- Olive oil
- Decorative slashes before baking
Where they vary:
- Some use a preferment (like a biga or poolish), others donโt. We found the flavor improved greatly with this simple step.
- Some rely on stretch-and-folds instead of kneadingโthis is the method we prefer.
- Some bake on a stone for extra crispness. We use a preheated baking sheet, and both work well.
Ingredients You Need for Fougasse
- Bread Flour: While you can use all-purpose flour in this recipe, I strongly recommend using bread flour. Just like when we make olive bread, pizza bread, and asiago-crusted skillet bread, bread flour produces a stronger, chewier crumb.
- Whole Wheat Flour: Adds depth and subtle nuttiness for a hearty flavor.
- Instant or Active-Dry Yeast: You can use either. Take note that you will not use an entire standard packet of yeast.
- Salt: You just canโt make good bread without saltโit’s essential for flavor. Use regular table salt today.
- Water: Some yeasted bread recipes, like my soft dinner rolls, call for warm liquid because it helps the yeast work faster. On the other end of the spectrum, bread recipes with a long rest time, like this no-knead honey oat bread, call for cool or room-temperature water. The cooler the water, the longer the dough takes to rise and, usually, the better the bread’s flavor. (This is important because there are so few ingredients to add substantial flavor!)
- Olive Oil: A little goes in the dough, and then you’ll need more for greasing and for brushing before baking. And for dipping!
Plus, an invisible ingredient: time. The preferment, a couple strategic rests, and proper proofing after shaping all work together to develop flavor.
Overview: How to Make Fougasse
It may seem like a long process, but keep in mind that most of the time is hands-off, while the dough rests. You also have flexibility with the timing, so you can work it into your day!
Day 1: Make the preferment.
- Mix together the biga/preferment. We’re using the same preferment as ciabatta bread. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12โ24 hours. It will about double in size and be very bubbly.
This is after 24 hours:
Day 2: Make the bread.
In a large bowl, whisk the flours, yeast, and salt. Add the preferment, water, and olive oil. Stir by hand, or use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3โ5 minutes, until smooth. The dough should be slightly sticky but workable.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for 45 minutes. It’s fine if it rests a little longer.
Now weโll build a little extra structure with one quick stretch-and-fold.
How to Stretch & Fold Sticky Dough
After the dough rests for 45 minutes, lightly grease your fingers or a silicone spatula with a bit of olive oil. Using your greased hand or spatula, lift up one side of the dough and gently stretch it up and pull it toward the opposite side of the bowl, folding it down over the dough. I like to visualize a clock on top of the dough for this. You’ll be folding it at the 12 o’clock mark and pulling it down over the 6 o’clock mark. Then, turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this until you’ve gone around the bowl once, for a total of 4 folds:
The stretch-and-fold method is similar to kneading dough but much gentler and more precise; it’s designed to handle the dough’s stickiness without overworking it. You’re building structure and strength.
A single round of stretching and folding is enough to strengthen the dough without overcomplicating the process. When you’re done, let the dough rest for at least 45 minutes and get ready to shape.
How to Shape Fougasse
Press the dough into a rounded triangle shape, about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide at the base. Cover and rest for 30 minutes to let the gluten relax.
Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut one long slash down the center (leave 1 inch at each end). Add 3โ4 diagonal slashes on each side. Gently stretch the openings to create 2-inch gaps.
Rest another 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 450ยฐF (232ยฐC). Place a baking stone or an inverted baking sheet in the oven so it preheats as well.
Brush dough with olive oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and herbs, if desired. We typically use chopped fresh rosemary. Dried Herbes de Provence is delicious, too.
Slide the parchment (with the dough) onto the preheated baking sheet. Bake about 20 minutes, until deeply golden and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool slightly, then serve warm!
Quick Lesson: Why Use a Preferment?
Preferment, sponge, biga, poolish, levainโฆ whatโs the difference? All preferments ferment a portion of the flour, water, and yeast ahead of time to improve flavor, structure, and shelf life. Itโs a small step that makes a big difference.
Hereโs a quick breakdown:
- Sponge: A flexible, yeast-based preferment often made a few hours (or overnight) before mixing the final dough.
- Biga (what we use here): A stiffer sponge (about 50โ60% hydration). It creates deeper flavor and a stronger, chewier structure. It’s perfect for breads like ciabatta and today’s fougasse.
- Poolish: Equal parts flour and water (100% hydration). Thinner and more batter-like, producing a lighter, more open crumb.
- Levain (from a sourdough starter): Naturally fermented (from wild yeast), giving sourdough bread its signature tang and chew.
For this fougasse, the biga gives us complexity and structure without making the process complicated. A little planning ahead, and your bread tastes like it came from a bakery!
We haven’t tested this recipe with a sourdough starter, so are unsure of the results. The hydration percentage of your sourdough starter may be different than the biga, so your results may vary. If you’d like to try it, replace the biga with 1 cup, or 240g, of sourdough starter. Let us know how it goes!
Homemade Fougasse
- Prep Time: 45 minutes (hands-on)
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 12 hours (includes preferment)
- Yield: one 12-inch loaf
- Category: Baking, Bread, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Description
This homemade fougasse is a rustic French flatbread with crisp, golden edges and a chewy interior. Made with a very easy biga-style preferment for enhanced flavor and structure, this hearth-style bread is brushed with olive oil and baked at high heat to create its signature crackly crust. Shaped and slashed to resemble a leaf or stalk of wheat, fougasse is as beautiful as it is delicious! This extensively tested version uses bread flour for chew, a touch of whole wheat flour for depth, and olive oil for tenderness. Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, alongside soup or salad, or as part of a cheese board.
Ingredients
Biga/Preferment
- 1 cup (130g) bread flour (I use this),ย spooned & leveled
- 1/8 teaspoon instant or active-dry yeast
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) room-temperature water (about 70ยฐF (21ยฐC))
For the Fougasse
- 1 and 1/2 cups (195g) bread flourย (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup (65g) whole wheat flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon instant or active-dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) room-temperature waterย
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- optional, for topping: flaky sea salt and herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, or Herbes de Provence
Instructions
- Day 1: Make the Biga/Preferment: In a medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour and yeast. Add the water and mix with a silicone spatula until combined. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 8โ24 hours.
- Day 2: Make the Dough: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, and salt. Add the biga, water, and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. If you do not have a stand mixer, mix the dough together by hand with a silicone spatula.
- If using a stand mixer, knead with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 3โ5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky. If mixing by hand, turn the dough out (all the shaggy bits!) onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3โ5 minutes, until smooth. The dough should be sticky but workable. If itโs very sticky, lightly flour your hands or the dough as needed. Avoid adding too much extra flour; the dough should remain slightly tacky.
- Drizzle or brush a little olive oil around the inside of the mixing bowl you were using. Place the ball of dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides of the dough in the oil.
- 1st Dough Rest: Cover tightly and let the dough rest for 45 minutes, and up to 2 hours. (See make-ahead instructions if you want to extend this time.)
- Stretch and Fold (1 Round): Visualize a clock on top of your dough. You’ll be folding it at the 12 o’clock mark. With an olive oil-greased spatula or lightly oiled hands, lift up the dough at 12 o’clock and gently stretch it up and pull it toward the opposite side of the bowl (6 o’clock), folding it down over the dough. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this until you’ve gone around the bowl once, for a total of 4 folds. Flip the dough over so it’s seam side down.
- 2nd Dough Rest: Cover tightly and let the dough rest for 45 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
- Shape the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and use your fingers to press it into a rounded triangle or egg shape, (roughly) 12 inches long by 6 inches wide at the base.
- 3rd Dough Rest: Cover lightly and let rest for 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
- Cut the dough: Using a sharp knife, pizza wheel, or kitchen shears, cut the dough lengthwise down the center, stopping about 1 inch from each end. Then make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts on each side of the center cut. To create a leaf-like appearance, use your fingers to gently stretch out each cut until the holes are about 2 inches wide.
- 4th Rest: Cover lightly and let rest for 30 minutes, and up to 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450ยฐF (232ยฐC). If you have a baking stone, preheat it on the center rack. Otherwise, place a large flat baking sheet, or a rimmed baking sheet upside down, on the center rack to preheat.
- Brush the fougasse with olive oil, and sprinkle with herbs and/or sea salt, if using. Carefully slide the fougasse, along with the parchment paper, onto the preheated baking stone or baking sheet.
- Bake the fougasse until golden brown, about 20 minutes. If you give the top of the bread a tap, it should sound hollow.ย For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the internal temperature as 190โ200ยฐF (88โ93ยฐC).
- If desired, brush the warm bread with more olive oil. Serve warm with dipping oil and balsamic vinegar, alongside soup or salad, or as part of a cheese board.
- Fougasse is best the day itโs baked. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. If desired, reheat in a 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) oven, uncovered, for 5โ8 minutes to crisp back up.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: There are a few ways to get ahead. First, the biga (step 1) can sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours before using. Second, after the first 45-minute dough rest in step 5 (before the stretch-and-fold), you can cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours. When ready to continue, let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30โ60 minutes before proceeding with the stretch-and-fold and shaping.
- Freezing Instructions: The best way to freeze this is to freeze the baked bread. Let it cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and refresh in a 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) oven, uncovered, for 5โ8 minutes to crisp it back up.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Kitchen Scaleย | Glass Mixing Bowls | Stand Mixer |ย Silicone Spatula |ย Baking Sheet | Pastry Brush | Instant-Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack
- Flour: For absolute best flavor and chewy texture, I strongly recommend using bread flour. You can use a 1:1 substitution of all-purpose flour in a pinch with no other changes to the recipe; however, the dough may not be as strong, and may not hold shape as well.
- Whole Wheat Flour: This small amount adds depth of flavor and subtle nuttiness without making the bread dense. You can replace it with additional bread flour if needed; the texture will be slightly lighter and less hearty. I donโt recommend increasing the whole wheat flour beyond 1/2 cup, as too much can make the fougasse dry and dense.
- Yeast: You can use instant or active-dry yeast, but I highly recommend an instant (aka “rapid rise” or “quick rise”) yeast. If using active-dry yeast, there are no changes needed to the recipe. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guideย for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Optional Add-Ins: In step 2, when you mix the preferment with the dough ingredients, you can add up to 3/4 cup of chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or shredded cheese. Avoid adding too much, which can weigh the bread down and affect shaping. You can also add 2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs, or 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
- Can I Use a Sourdough Starter for This Recipe? To rely only on a sourdough starter and not yeast, I recommend looking for a specific sourdough fougasse recipe. However, if you’d like to try it, replace the biga with 1 cup (240g) of sourdough starter. Depending on the hydration percentage of your starter, results may vary.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Absolutely delicious.
I was skeptical because my dough looked weird but it pulled through at the end. Lovely flavor, went great with our stew!
Great flavor and looks gorgeous
I was excited about this one. The instructions were great and easy to follow, it came out great. My only thing is I thought the bread itself was a bit bland, maybe its supposed to be like that? I can see the point of using the olive oil dip with it. I enjoyed making this one though, was a good challenge.
This bread has a perfectly crisp crust on the outside and a light and fluffy texture on the inside.
Turned out beautiful and delicious!
I added some sourdough discard to mine, and topped with dried rosemary and salt, then after baking I brushed with melted butter.
This fougasse recipe was super easy to follow and turned out delicious! I just used French Grey Sea Salt on top and it was perfect.
This was fun to make we will have it with our baked ziti tonight!
Loved the texture and taste. Like good breadsticks. Especially good dipped in the olive oil.
Great recipe & not too difficult. I added flax seed to the dough & finished it rosemary & Maldon sea salt, delish!
This is a project! None of the steps are difficult, but it takes some attention. The results though-lovely and so tasty! It would be perfect with a bowl of minestrone.
Intimidating but honestly super simple and a definite crowd pleaser. I always check this website first for recipes; the explanations are so clear and I love how much I learn! This fougasse was easily the most attractive bread I’ve personally baked and definitely on the simple side despite the number of steps. Thanks for this and all the other great recipes!
This bread was a great challenge recipe. Took a while, but well worth the results. Plus it was mostly hands off, so only a little bit of forward planning.
I didnโt quite add enough herbs in the final step, but thatโs something I can improve next time.
The recipe yields a really eye catching loaf, so I will likely bring it as a gift to gatherings in future.
It is definitely best eaten on the day itโs baked, as it goes a little stale. However, with the bits we had left over, some careful cutting, and a few minutes in the toaster it created a lovely snack.
Really delicious. Moist and lemony.
This fougasse was surprisingly easy to make and turned out SO delicious!
This fougasse turned out really delicious. It had a lovely soft texture on the inside while still getting a nice crust on the outside. We added rosemary, thyme, and oregano on top, which gave it a great aroma and flavor. It was simple to make and tasted wonderful โ definitely a recipe we would make again!
Such great bread. Easy recipe to follow. Clear directions
This was fun to make and not hard either. Now that I look at your photo, I feel like mine didn’t get golden brown. But the temperature was high enough.
Greatest bread I have ever eaten! Worth taking the time to do this. I agree that it seems very shaggy when mixing and I was really worried that it would be too tough, but the end product is perfectly crisp crust with a moist fluffy interior.
My son summed it up perfectly when he said he could live off Fougasse and butter happily for the rest of his life. Thank you Sally and Team for a fantastic recipe! I will 100% make this again!
Really enjoyed the end product, but the process was fun too. Delicious! I appreciated the description โshaggyโ because mine was definitely that. I was worried about the dry shaggy incorporating into the soft, moist biga. I just kept kneading and kneading and it eventually came together beautifully. I also loved the inclusion of some whole wheat flour. It really was a tasty treat!
Recipe texture turned out beautifully, the olive oil taste on the outside of the bread was a nice touch.
Amazingly easy recipe to make. Sally has so many photos that help you stay on track! Delicious results.