The recipe is made from very basic ingredients that most of you will already have in your home kitchen. You’ll need red seedless table grapes, rosemary, sugar, yeast, 00 flour (or all-purpose flour), and extra virgin olive oil. That’s all you’ll need to bring a delicious taste of Tuscany into your own home. This focaccia is so delectable that you won’t want to wait only until the fall to make it. It’s a fantastic recipe to enjoy all year long made with your favorite grapes. Serve it as an appetizer paired with Gorgonzola cheese and a nice glass of Chianti wine. You will surely impress your friends and family with this classic taste of Tuscany. Now for the fun part!
Tuscan Grape Focaccia | Schiacciata all’Uva
Your favorite seedless red grapes.
(Serves 6-8 people)
Ingredients
The pre-fermented dough
- 50 grams of all-purpose flour sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon of active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of warm water
To make the focaccia
- 450 grams (3-5/8) cups) of all-purpose flour
- 247 grams (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) of lukewarm water
- 10 grams of sugar and some more for sprinkling over the focaccia.
- 1/4 cup olive oil for brushing the top
- 9 grams of salt
- 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of extra virgin olive oil
- 1.75 grams (1/2 tablespoon) of active dry yeast
- 2 rosemary sprigs roughly chopped
- 2.25 lbs of seedless Californian purple table grapes
- 13″ X 18″ baking tray
Making the pre-fermented dough
- Sift the flour into a bowl
- Add the yeast to the flour and slowly add the water to make a rough dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Knead the dough to create a uniform dough.
Tip: This dough will be sticky at first. Flour your hands in addition to flouring your work area to work it more easily.
- Now place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or cling film.
- Place the bowl in a draft-free place in your kitchen for three hours or in your refrigerator overnight.
Tip: If placing the dough in the refrigerator take it out one hour before to take the chill off it before proceeding with the recipe.
-
- Mix all together in a bowl to create a rough dough shape.
-
- The pre-fermented dough after three hours at room temperature.
Making the focaccia
- Add the flour, yeast, sugar, and olive oil to a bowl and add the salt opposite to the yeast.
Tip: If the salt touches the yeast at this stage it can deactivate it. So keeping them separate is important.
- Now add the water in several stages to begin to make the dough.
- Once all the water is incorporated turn the dough out onto your lightly floured work surface.
- Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough for 5 minutes and then let it rest for 5 minutes covered with plastic wrap.
- After resting knead again for an additional 5 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
- Leave the dough in a warm draft-free place in your kitchen for 1.5 hours.
-
- The dough is now ready to rise for 1.5 hours.
-
- The final risen dough.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F – 200°C
- Wash and pat dry your grapes.
- Brush your baking tray with olive oil and then give it a good dusting of sugar.
- Then the dough out onto your lightly floured work surface.
- Flatten the dough into a rectangular shape and cut it in half.
- With a rolling pin lightly roll out the dough to the size of your baking tray.
-
- The dough is divided in two equal parts.
-
- The first layer of dough and grapes.
Tip: If you want to make a decoration cut an inch and a half of dough from each rectangle before rolling them out. I made a bunch of grapes as decoration. You can let your artistic side shine here and get creative. Or, simply opt for no decoration. The result will still be very eye-appealing.
- Add half the amount of grapes and spread them evenly across the bottom layer of dough.
- Drizzle over with a little olive oil.
- Sprinkle about three tablespoons of sugar over all the grapes. Then do the same with about one tablespoon of chopped rosemary.
- Now roll out the second layer of dough and place it on top. Trim off any excess and use it for decoration.
- Tuck in and close up the edges of the dough very well.
Tip: At this step, you can make your own decoration or skip it and continue with the recipe.
-
- The second layer of dough over the grapes.
-
- My bunch of grapes for decoration.
- Now add the rest of the grapes to this top layer.
- Gently pat them down so they don’t roll all over the place.
- Add the Rosemary over the top
- Cover with greased plastic wrap and let it proof once more for 30 minutes.
Tip: Rosemary goes exceptionally well with grapes and in this recipe, you’ll see what I mean as soon as you taste it.
-
- Add the grapes and rosemary then proof.
-
- Proof for 30 minutes.
- Once proofed carefully brush your decoration with olive oil.
- Drizzle olive oil over the rest of the focaccia and then sprinkle all with a good dusting off sugar.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes
- Rote the tray halfway through the cooking time.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cook for about 10 minutes before cutting.
- Serve warm.
Your delicious schiacciata all’uva is ready to enjoy.