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