Savoury fougasse

The flatbread called fougasse in France, particularly in Provence where it often has the wheat-ear form pictured opposite, is also called fogassa in Catalonia and focaccia in Italy. The word in all these forms derives from the Latin focus, or hearth. It was originally baked on the sole or floor of the bread oven when it was being prepared for conventional loaves but was as yet too hot to bake them without burning the crusts.