Chervil, Pear & Walnut Fougasse with Comté
Leaf-shaped fougasse layered with pear, walnut, Comté, and chervil.
Category
Bread
Prep
30 minutes
Cook
35 minutes
Style
French
Technique
Kneading
Diet Friendly
Vegetarian
Daily recipe · September 23, 2026
A little about this dish
This autumnal French fougasse swaps the usual olive topping for juicy pear, toasted walnut, nutty Comté, and delicate chervil. The fresh herb is folded into the dough and scattered over the finished bread, while caramelized shallots add savory depth without overpowering the fruit.
Ingredients (for 4)
- Fresh chervil — 1 loosely packed cup, divided — Finely chop half; reserve half for finishing
- Firm-ripe pear — 2 small — Core and thinly slice
- Walnut halves — 1/2 cup
- Comté cheese — 3 1/2 ounces — Finely grate
- Crème fraîche — 1/4 cup
- Shallot — 2 medium — Thinly slice
- Dijon mustard — 1 tablespoon
- Bread flour — 3 cups, plus extra for shaping
- Instant yeast — 2 teaspoons
- Honey — 1 teaspoon
- Lemon zest — 1 teaspoon — Finely grate
- Water — 1 cup — Warm
- Black pepper — 1/4 teaspoon — Freshly grind
- Extra-virgin olive oil — 4 tablespoons, divided — Divide
- Fine sea salt — 1 1/4 teaspoons, divided — Divide
Preparation
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Step 1 — 🌾🥣🫒Whisk the flour, yeast, honey, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in the warm water and 2 tablespoons olive oil until a shaggy dough forms.
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Step 2 — 🤲🌿💪Knead on a lightly floured surface for 7–9 minutes until smooth and elastic. Knead in half of the finely chopped chervil during the final minute.
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Step 3 — 🥣🫧⏳Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 60–75 minutes, until nearly doubled.
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Step 4 — 🧅🍳✨Cook the shallots with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of the remaining salt over medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes, until soft and deeply golden. Cool slightly.
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Step 5 — 🌰🔥🔪Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for 3–4 minutes or in a 350°F oven for 6–8 minutes. Cool and roughly chop.
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Step 6 — 🍐🍋🥄Stir together the crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and black pepper. Pat the pear slices dry.
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Step 7 — ♨️📄🌡️Heat the oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
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Step 8 — 🍞✂️🍃Stretch the risen dough into a 12-by-15-inch oval. Cut a long slit down the center and three diagonal slits on each side to create a leaf shape.
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Step 9 — 🧀🎨🍐Spread the crème fraîche mixture over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange the pears, then scatter over the shallots, grated Comté, and walnuts, keeping the slits open.
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Step 10 — 🖌️🥧🏆Brush the exposed dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake for 17–21 minutes, rotating once, until deeply golden and bubbling at the edges.
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Step 11 — 🌿🔪😋Cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with the reserved chervil, cut into four wedges, and serve warm.
A final fox tip
Fougasse is traditionally slashed so it bakes quickly and resembles a leaf or ear of wheat. Serve it with soup, a crisp salad, or a small bowl of mustard for dipping. Children can help arrange the pear slices and gently pull open the dough slits. For variation, replace the Comté with aged goat cheese or the walnuts with hazelnuts.