Rustic Fougasse Bread is beautifully shaped into leaves after the first rise. You can top these loaves with extra salt if desired after brushing on the bit of olive oil.

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This Fougasse Bread Recipe makes leafy bread loaves that are lovely to look at AND taste amazing. These beautiful rustic french breads will make any meal special!

Crispy on the outside with a little soft bite inside fougasse are filled with herbs and topped with olive oil, more herbs, and kosher salt. They’re so herby and perfectly shaped you’ll want to make them again and again.

A fougasse bread cooling on a wire rack.

Two loaves of fougasse bread in a towel.

I don’t know about you but my family wanted to immediately identify them as Elven Bread. Not lembas or way bread but more of an Elven everyday staple. I just think they look like Monstera Leaves…

Two loaves of bread on a serving platter.

This Fougasse Bread Recipe is for the GBBO Bake-Along

We’re working our way through Collection 4 on Netflix, and this is Botanicals Week. The bakes for this week were:

Signature Bake: Citrus Meringue Pie
Technical Bake: Fougasse Bread
Showstopper Bake: 3 Layer Floral Cake

How to Shape Fougasse

Fougasse bread dough is very sticky and stretchy, much like ciabatta bread dough. For this fougasse recipe you’re going to:

line 2 12×16 inch baking sheets with parchment paper
liberally dust the counter with a flour
turn the dough out of the box or bowl
dust the top with flour too
gently pat the dough out
cut it with a bench scraper
set one piece on each prepared baking sheet
set one aside
working on one of the pieces of dough, gently spread it out about 1/2 as big as you want it
then use a pizza wheel OR your bench scraper cut 2 lines in the middle of the shape, like the center vein in a leaf
cut 6 slits on each side of the centerline
use your hands to gently ease the bread dough out, spreading the slits open as you go
pat and enlarge the dough to almost the same size as the pan, but making it wider at one end and slightly pointed at the other end-really you can make it as leafy as you like, have fun with it!
cover and let rise for about 20 minutes while the oven preheats

What Do I Need to Make Fougasse Bread??

Nothing too special! It’s essentially bread with herbs and oil on it.

all-purpose flour works well in this recipe
bench scraper to cut the dough
a dough box for even rising and easy dusting with flour, a bowl will be fine too
extra oil for drizzling
pastry brush
fresh or dried herbs

Fresh leaf shaped bread on baking sheets with parchment paper.

What Kind of Yeast Should I Use? Instant? Active Dry? Rapid RIse?

Feeling intimidated? Try these EASY Rustic Grissini Breadsticks instead. They’re just as impressive and tasty but 100% LESS work! Or the GBBO Floury Baps, almost perfect burger buns!

Rustic Fougasse Bread Recipe

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Rustic Fougasse Bread is beautifully shaped into leaves after the first rise. You can top these loaves with extra salt if desired after brushing on the bit of olive oil.

Course: Recipe

Cuisine: GBBO Inspired

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 25

Additional Time: 1 30

Total Time: 2 15

Servings: Loaves

Calories: 1133kcal

Author: Laura

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Equipment

Ingredients

4 1/5 cups 500 grams of All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 350ml cups warm water
1 3/4 tsp 10 grams salt
2 1/2 tsp 10 grams instant yeast
2 TBSP Olive Oil plus extra
2 teaspoons Italian Dried Herbs OR 2 tsp EACH fresh snipped rosemary sage, thyme+1/2 tsp of dried oregano for the top before baking (I used straight Italian Herbs for ALL the herbs in and on the bread)
kosher salt for the top of the bread

Instructions

put the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer
put the salt on one side of the bowl
put the yeast on the other
pour 3/4 of the water over the top of the flour
stir to combine for 30 seconds
then add the last of the water, 2 TBSP olive oil, and half the herbs
let the machine mix it until it forms a dough and then let it knead for 4-5 minutes
meanwhile, liberally oil the bowl or resealable box you’re going to use
when the dough is done it will be very soft
put it in the box, turn to coat, cover and let rest
let it rise in a warm place until it’s at least doubled in size
when it’s done rising dust your counter with flour
line two 12×16 baking sheets with parchment paper
turn the dough out and flour the top too
pat out the dough out a bit and cut in half with a bench scraper or dough scraper
set one on each prepared pan
working on piece of dough using your fingertips to pat it out about 1/2 as big as you want it
then use the dough scraper OR a pizza wheel to cut to vertical lines in the middle of the bread dough
then make six cuts on each side of the line to make a leaf shape
proceed with patting out the dough and gently stretching the cuts in the dough open wide
the dough should be about as big as the pan with one end wider and the other end slightly pointed like a leaf
repeat with the second piece of dough
cover and let rise while the oven preheats
preheat the oven to 430˚
when you’re ready to bake brush the leave with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining herbs
bake 20-22 minutes, switching the baking pans halfway through to ensure even bakes
remove from the oven
drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt while on the pan
carefully move to a cooling rack
enjoy while fresh, these loaves don’t store too well