One thing I’ve noticed after moving up to NorCal is that bakeries here are infinitely better than the ones in SoCal. What I mean is, bakeries in the Bay feel more authentic and artisanal, and often times they are. I think there are better options for bread here than in the south. Please correct me in the comments below if I’m mistaken, but I can’t think of SoCal equivalents to The CheeseBoard Collective Bakery, The Acme Bread Company, Arsicault Bakery, and Tartine Bakery (spots all deserving separate posts of their own!)
Anyways, this post is solely on Fournée Bakery in Berkeley, CA – and the gem of a French bread they make: fougasse.
Fournée Bakery
Facing the tennis courts of the historic Claremont Club & Spa, Fournée Bakery is located in the small cluster of restaurants and stores at the intersection of Claremont Ave, Russell St, Domingo Ave and Ashby Ave. Its neighbors include Peet’s Coffee, Tulipan Floral, and Rick & Ann’s.
On a busy day, the line can go all the way down almost to Rick & Ann’s! As you can see in the photo above, there are some parking spots with meters. But this area can get crowded as this area is shared by other restaurants and stores, along with guests and visitors from the Claremont hotel and its tennis courts.
Bread Galore!
Fournée Bakery offers an array of delectable baked goods, including morning buns, scones (fruit, walnut & coriander), croissants (fruit, veggie, chocolate almond, almond, traditional butter, egg & ham, ham & manchego cheese), cheese rolls, pains au chocolat, pains au raisin (says it’s “pain aux raisins” online), and this marvelous French bread called, “gougère” that I fell in love with! It’s this savory puff of a bread that tastes like cheese and egg. Simply delicious!
They also have these sandwiches that seem to be popular amongst visitors. I always see at least one person in front of me order one. I haven’t tried them still, as I’ve already developed my go-to items and always end up ordering them instead. I’ll have to try them soon!
But I did try their Farmer’s Bread and can say with confidence that it’s good!
Pastries Galore!
I sure can’t forget to mention Fournée Bakery’s excellent pastries!
The pastries behind the glass display vary from day to day, but the selection usually consists of Meyer lemon shortbreads, cookies, brownies, and quiches. Often times, they have these seasonal items – I HIGHLY recommend that you get them. I don’t remember regretting getting their seasonal items, like ever! Some seasonal items that I’ve seen include seasonal fruit scones, bûche de Noël (during Christmastime), fruit tart, and my favorite, the rhubarb tart. I fell hard for it last summer and am currently waiting for it to come out again.
The Gem of a Bread: Fougasse
Yet, the item that truly, truly shines the brightest of ’em all at Fournée is fougasse. You may ask – what is “fougasse”? Pronounced “fu-gas,” it’s a bread from Provence, France that’s shaped like a flat leaf. Per online sources, it’s related to the focaccia of Italy, hogaza of Spain, fogassa of Catalonia, fügassa of Liguria, pogača of the Balkans, and pogácsa of Hungary.
Until Fournée, I had never heard or seen of a fougasse. And even to this day, I don’t see fougasse often in other places in the Bay. So when I first laid my eyes on fougasse with its ingredients listed as in the photo below, I had to try it. I mean, it was a bread made with duck fat!
Ordering the strange bread called, “fougasse” was one of the best decisions I made last year. No joke – the first bite was heavenly: a harmonious blend of salty and savory, with just the right amount of the perfect seasoning.
Ever since that fateful day, I’ve shared fougasse with everyone around me, including my sister who also fell in love with the beautiful French bread. I became Fournée Bakery’s unofficial patron & ambassador of fougasse, visiting the bakery almost every week for it and spreading news of its exceptional taste to everyone I meet.
Conclusion
To tell the truth, I thought about gatekeeping Fournée Bakery and its gem of a bread, fougasse. But it’s too good of a spot to keep to oneself, and besides, it’s already well-loved by its frequent visitors and fans like me!
On a final note, not only is the bakery stocked with delectable bread and pastries, but also, they’ve got a nice seating area to enjoy: in front of/behind Peet’s and Tulipan Floral.
Taking a sip of Peet’s and admiring the flowers of Tulipan while taking a bite of Fournée’s gems is such bliss! 😊
P.S. Note: Fournée Bakery is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For hours and other info, visit their website HERE or their IG account HERE.
P.P.S. FYI, the front window of Fournée is under renovation. I think I overheard someone say that a car had crashed into the store front or something. So be aware that the front of the bakery will look slightly different!
P.P.P.S. IMPORTANT UPDATE: Fougasse is currently unavailable! ☹ The bakery staff told me that they don’t have the duck fat to make them and they don’t know when they’ll have their duck fat again…
Update 1/27/24: Fougasse is back, baby! 🙌
