sweet, salty grape focaccia
my take on schiacciata con l’uva for the end of sydney summer
i was reading before bed (still life, by sarah winman - a wonderful recommendation from a friend of a friend) when i saw schiacciata con l’uva mentioned for the first time
it’s a sweet-salty tuscan grape bread traditionally made during the grape harvest
it’s the end of summer here in sydney, and it feels like peak grape season. i used the long black grapes here, with half inside and half on top
the grapes inside turn jammy, while the outer ones caramelise in the olive oil
i will be eating it for breakfast all week, with cubed melon and jammy eggs
yields twelve generous squares
ingredients
385g water
500g strong bread flour
4g instant yeast
8g salt
at least 2-3 tbsp evoo
filling
500g black grapes
1 tbsp sugar, for sprinkling
flakey salt, to top
optional: fresh rosemary
method
filling
halve each grape lengthways
toss with sugar (1 tbsp)
cover and let sit while you make the dough
before using, drain off any juice (this helps keep the focaccia from getting soggy!)
dough
add the water (385g) and flour (500g) to a large bowl and mix together until just combined
cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes
sprinkle over the yeast (4g) and salt (8g)
mix to make sure the yeast and salt are evenly distributed through the dough
thoroughly oil a rectangular baking dish (preferably about 20cm x 27cm)
transfer the dough to the baking dish
fold the dough into thirds (like a letter) and flip to be seam-side down
cover and let rest for 20 minutes
repeat for two more rounds then fold one final time, for a total of 60 minutes resting time and 4 folds
assembly
now, we’ll fill the focaccia with half the grapes
press out the dough to the corners of your baking dish, and sprinkle over half the grapes (just the grapes, not the juice!)
fold the focaccia over itself, trapping the grapes inside
spread the dough to the edges of the dish, then sprinkle over the remaining grapes
cover and place in the fridge overnight
in the morning
remove the dough from the baking dish and place on the counter
cover and let rise for 45-60 minutes (may take longer if your kitchen is really cold like mine)
preheat oven to 220°C
just before baking, dimple the dough with your finger tips and sprinkle with flakey salt
optional: press a few sprigs of rosemary into the top too
bake for 20-25 minutes
here’s to more grapes in baked goods





As chief taste tester #1, can confirm that a crispy caramelised olive oil grape is the peak human experience! 🍇