Fougasse
Fougasse is a rustic French flatbread made with strong bread flour, olive oil, water and yeast. The Thermomix TM7 mixes and kneads the dough to a silky, elastic consistency in minutes. Scored and slashed into a leaf shape, it bakes into a golden, crusty bread ideal for sharing alongside soups or dips.
About this recipe
Fougasse Thermomix TM7 is the ultimate rustic French bread recipe for anyone who loves baking with an all-in-one kitchen machine. This Provençal flatbread, made with strong bread flour, olive oil, instant yeast and sea salt, gets its character from the distinctive leaf-shaped slashes that open up during baking, creating crisp edges and a light, airy crumb. Preparing fougasse recipes by hand demands patience, but the TM7 takes over the heavy work: the flour, water, olive oil, yeast and salt are combined evenly, then the dough mode kneads everything into a smooth, elastic ball that rises beautifully. Serve this homemade fougasse warm as a side with soup, tear it apart at a summer barbecue, or offer it with olive oil and dips at an aperitif. With its golden crust and olive oil aroma, it turns any quick weeknight dinner or festive gathering into something special, and it freezes well too.
Preparation tips
- After kneading, let the fougasse dough rise in a greased bowl covered with a damp tea towel until doubled in size. A warm, draught-free spot gives the strongest rise and a lighter, airier crumb in the finished bread.
- When shaping, use a sharp knife or dough scraper to make the classic slashes down the centre of each fougasse, then stretch the openings gently apart so they stay visible after baking and create those signature crisp edges.
- Brush the shaped fougasse generously with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt before baking. Leftover fougasse keeps for a day in a paper bag and can be briefly revived in a warm oven for extra crispness.
Recipe variations
- Herbed fougasse: knead chopped rosemary or thyme into the dough and scatter the finished bread with flaky sea salt. The herbs complement the olive oil and turn this flatbread into an aromatic side for Italian or French dinners.
- Cheesy festive variation: fold cubed gruyère or aged cheddar into the dough after the first rise. As the fougasse bakes, the cheese melts into pockets, making it an irresistible party bread for celebrations and drinks.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Weigh the strong bread flour and water directly in the mixing bowl, because the TM7 scale measures each ingredient to the gram for consistent dough every time. [Time Savings]
- The Thermomix kneads the fougasse dough hands-free for several minutes, developing the gluten until it turns smooth and elastic without any manual effort. [Hands-Free]
- Mixing flour, olive oil, yeast and salt evenly in seconds, the TM7 gives the fougasse dough a uniform texture before kneading even begins. [Multi-Function]
- Heating is managed precisely in the TM7, so lukewarm water activates the instant yeast reliably and the fougasse dough always rises properly. [Precision Control]
- Kneading dough in the sealed mixing bowl protects the flour mixture from draughts, keeping the fougasse dough at a steady temperature during the entire process. [Temperature Control]
Ingredients
- olive oil
- dried instant yeast
- strong white bread flour
- olive oil
- water
- fine sea salt
- strong white bread flour
- water