What French flatbread is topped with onions, anchovies, and olives?

The French flatbread topped with onions, anchovies, and olives is pissaladière. It is especially associated with Nice and the Provence region, where it is served warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Pissaladière is made with bread dough that is usually thicker than a classic Italian pizza crust. Its defining topping is a generous layer of slowly cooked onions, often nearly pureed, accompanied by anchovies and small black olives. Traditional versions may also use pissalat, a salty anchovy-based paste.

The name is connected to pissalat, derived from a Niçois phrase meaning “salted fish.” The condiment was historically made by salting and fermenting small fish such as anchovies or sardines. Modern recipes often substitute anchovy fillets or anchovy paste because traditional pissalat is difficult to find.

Although pissaladière resembles pizza, it is a distinct Provençal specialty. Related regional versions include pichade from Menton, which adds tomato, and tarte de Menton, which omits anchovies. Fougasse is another French flatbread, but it does not specifically identify this onion, anchovy, and olive combination.