so...
fancy name.
delicious bread.
there is something so lovely about baking homemade bread.
the process of kneading, the smell of baking.
and this bread, with fresh, hot grapes, oozing their own jam, just puts this over the top.
you could serve this as an appetizer, with a good Italian salami.
or as a brunch dish, with a nice frittata on the side.
or as a simple dessert, drizzled with honey, with a fine Port to serve.
or, as we did.
just hot from the oven, standing with the babies underfoot, begging for another bite.
enjoy!
Schiacciata con L'Uva
Adapted from epicurious.
Makes one loaf.
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)3 tablespoons dry red wine
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup warm water (110-115 deg)
2 1/2 - 3 cups Italian "00" flour or half all purpose flour and half cake flour (just not self-rising!)
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 1/2 cups good grapes (1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup sugar
Stir together yeast, wine, honey, and warm water in a large bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup flour...mixture will be lumpy but don't overmix! Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 40 to 50 minutes.
Add oil, 1 1/2 cups flour, and sea salt and stir until a sticky dough forms.
Knead dough on a floured work surface, gradually adding up to 1/2 cup more flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic but still soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer dough to an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
Turn out dough onto work surface and knead several times to release air. Cut dough in half. Roll out one piece of dough, keeping remaining piece covered, with a lightly floured rolling pin into a rough 12" x 10" rectangle. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled, rimmed baking sheet and gently stretch to cover as much as possible of bottom.
Scatter half of grapes over dough, then sprinkle grapes with 1/4 cup sugar. Roll out remaining piece of dough in same manner and put on top of grapes, gently stretching dough to cover grapes. Scatter remaining grapes and 1/4 cup sugar on top and gently press into dough. Cover pan with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
Preheat oven to 400*.
Bake schiacciata in middle of oven until well browned and firm in middle, 40 to 45 minutes. Loosen sides and bottom of schiacciata with a spatula and slide onto a rack to cool. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
.JPG)
