Fougasse (bread) - History and Etymology

History and Etymology

In ancient Rome, panis focacius was a flatbread baked in the ashes of the hearth (focus in Latin). This became a diverse range of breads that include focaccia in Italian cuisine, hogaza in Spain, fogassa in Catalonia, fugàssa in Ligurian, pogača in the Balkans, pogacsa in Hungary, fougasse in Provence (originally spelled fogatza), fouace or fouée in other French regions and on the Channel Islands. The Provence version is more likely to have additions in the form of olives, cheese, or anchovies, which may be regarded as a primitive form of pizza without the tomato. There is also in Portugal the fogaça, a sweet bread.

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.

Fougasse is also a type of pastry from Monaco that is topped with almonds and nuts.