Herbes de Provence is a general term for a variety of herbs that can include oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary and lavender (not always included). It is to be used in cooking and not as a finishing herb and can be adapted to taste with your preferences. It is not to be mistaken for fines herbes (another French blend) which is a set combination of parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil and is often a finishing herb.
Herbes de Provence is one of my first favorite blends. Why? We spent a vacation traveling in SW France where I fell in love with the French countryside, even though it was not the Provence region, lavender (which grows there too) and Julia Child (Juju was one of her nicknames). We received a 2 volume set of Mastering the Art of French Cooking as a wedding present which introduced me to Julia Child. Herbes de Provence was an ingredient in one of her chicken recipes and later a French brand began to sell this blend. In the 1970’s it reached the American markets. I have many of Julia’s books, watched many of her TV cooking shows and the rest is history. She and her husband Paul lived in Provence for many years and their home is now available to rent and I believe cooking classes are still offered.
Not all blends have lavender in it but this one does from pollenranch.com. There’s an added bonus of Fennel Pollen too in this blend! I also have this old olivewood grinder I probably bought 30 years ago just made for Herbes de Provence. You can still find it on Etsy and Ebay for $36 and $45 respectively. It does make a fine powder!
Martha Stewart mentions Burlap & Barrel to get authentic herbs grown in France. They work with a cooperative of French herb growers to import their Herbes de Provence. Anyways, you probably won’t find this brand at your local supermarket and will have to order online.
Herbes de Provence Pollen Focaccia Skillet Bread
Most will not have this kit so make your favorite focaccia recipe or even better you can use a loaf of frozen bread dough (see Rosemary Focaccia with Frozen Bread Dough for instructions) and try Herbes de Provence to top your dough before it bakes. You can make this bread in a 10″ or 12″ cast iron skillet or 9×12-inch baking dish.
- flour bag has yeast packet in it
- 1 cup of lukewarm water (98-105)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil plus additional 1/4 cup olive oil (you could use Herbes de Provence olive oil instead)
- 1 tbsp. Herbes de Provence Pollen instead of Tuscan seasonings included with the kit
- coarse salt like Maldon or fleur de sel
- 1 garlic clove, minced (optional – I added)
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
Pour flour mix in large bowl, add yeast packet and stir well. Add lukewarm (98-105) water and 2 tbsp. olive oil and mix until dough comes together. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board and knead 8-10 times to make dough smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl and turn to coat so the dough is thoroughly covered in oil. Cover and let rise in warm place for 1 hour.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Coat bottom and sides of skillet (I used a 10-inch cast iron skillet) or baking dish with 2-3 tbsp. of oil. Punch dough ball and place in skillet, pat to the edges, allow to rest if needed. Combine oil and herbes de provence (minced garlic if using). You may not need all the oil mixture. Pour over the dough and use your fingers to press indentations all over the top of the dough. Sprinkle with salt and Parmesan cheese (optional).
Cook, uncovered in oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to rest a bit before cutting. Finishing with a drizzle of olive oil or balsamic vinegar, optional. I just loved the basalmic vinegar drizzle – try a slice to see if you like it. It would probably be better to spray the vinegar or brush it over the bread.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
This looks so very tempting! I’m also a big fan of Herbes de Provence, and would definitely enjoy the addition of fennel pollen in the mix.
The dipping oil suggestions are also very tempting! 🙂
Thanks Ronit – this pollen blend is so fragrant and really made a difference with the focaccia – the lavender and the fennel took it to another level. The herb dipping oils are the best 🙂 By the way I used one of your spice blends for the roasted veggies!
Glad to know. I’m also into roasting veggies lately! 🙂
What one learns on-line! Altho’ I love focaccia I had never thought about a possible ‘focaccia making kit’ in Australia! Talked with Mr Google – ha! There are at least half-a-dozen available – all varying in their contents – now to find one closest to yours! With the pollen?
The kits are expensive – you are better off buying frozen bread dough or using a homemade recipe. The pollen is not included but is a better alternative than what you can find in stores 🙂
Thank you for the advice I shall follow! I was just surprised that such ‘kits’ were available here at all . . .
It’s amazing what you can buy online. The kit I bought was to be a special gift – I would not spend that for myself 🙂
I love the idea of baking this bread in a cast iron skillet and the herbs sound amazing. A college roommate of mine (male) used to bake bread every morning (he said it was good therapy) – waking up to that delicious smell was a great way to start the day!
You won’t believe how fast I ate that bread!!! Not only smelling the bread but the spices too – absolutely delicious! If I made bread every day I would be in serious trouble. I hope he shared the bread 🙂
The addition of balsamic vinegar sounds delicious! Reminds me of the dip for bread we used to get at a nice Italian restaurant.
Yes, the balsamic vinegar is a must – you could also brush it on or spray the bread. See the post for spice mixes and one uses balsamic vinegar under the pictures above 🙂