Grape Focaccia is a bread from Northwest Italy, where there is a tradition of having dolce focaccia, meaning sweet focaccia, topped with raisins, honey and sugar. Focaccia bread has lots of olive oil, herbs and salt and could be thick or thin. When I first heard about the word, Focaccia, I was quite intrigued by it. The traditional meaning is “hearth baked flat bread”. The first time I had focaccia bread, in New Zealand it was thick and soft version and had grapes inside it and we fell in love with it. The ingredients in terms of butter, olive, grains in New Zealand are in my opinion the world’s best, because of so little commercialization and population. It’s still very pristine, and our experience of having Focaccia was 18 years ago. Would love to go there, and eat this bread again in Wellington, hoping that bakery/deli shop still exists! Kind of taking a parallel from a current movie Lion, which runs on a similar theme, where a lost boy finds his way home in India, all the way from Australia. I would like to do the reverse to find this sandwich place in Wellington:)
Till then, I will just have to try out my version of the same. And interestingly enough, came across this recipe in Southern Living, and it immediately caught my attention. Though the size was flat, it had an interesting flavor and taste, with olive oil, salt, rosemary, thyme and lavender herbs and the sweetness of red grapes. Using organic and unbleached bread flour, will make the bread more light and flavorful The color and size makes it an attractive appetizer, side dish. Having this on a snowy evening, uplifts you with its sweet aroma and gives you a perfect accompaniment to celebrate the joy the nature provides you everyday!! Providing you this recipe in a new plugin which seems to provide all my needs as an author. Let me know if you like it, by commenting on the contact form!
Happy to be baking and celebrating the first snow of the season, with the warm,sweet, savory flavor of Grape Focaccia!!
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 35 minutes |
| Passive Time | 3 hours |
| Servings |
pieces
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- 4 1/2 cups Bread Flour Organic Unbleached King Arthur Brand
- 1 2/3 cup water Luke warm water
- 3/4 cup Olive Oil divided
- 2 1/4 tsp Active Rapid Rise Yeast 1 envelope of yeast packet Fleischmanns yeast
- 1 1/2 tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Herb Mix Rosemary. Thyme, Lavender Mix
- 1 1/2 cup Red grapes sliced
- 1/w tsp Sea Salt for Garnish
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Ingredients
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- Warm the water for 20 seconds in the microwave. Add the water and yeast to the bread maker bowl and leave it for 5 minutes. Add bread flour, salt, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 tbsp of herbs to the yeast. Select the bread maker to dough and make the dough. The cycle should last about 1 1/2 hours, during which the dough should rise.
- Alternatively, if you don't have a bread maker, mix everything in a blender bowl, and mix using a dough blade , mix on medium high for five minutes. Grease some olive oil in a bowl and put the sticky dough in it, and wrap it with plastic wrap and let it rise to double in size in a warm place( under the oven light) for about an hour or more.
- Remove the dough after an hour, and transfer to the baking pan. Grease the baking pan lightly with oil, add another 1/4 cup of olive oil, and punch the dough with knuckles. Mix in about 1/3 quantity of grapes and cover again the dough and leave it to rise for another hour.
- After an hour, flatter the dough further to the thickness you would like to have, add the balance grapes on top. Garnish it with sea salt, pepper, balance herbs and remaining 1/4 cup oil.
- Pre heat convection oven to 425 degrees and bakes for 30 minutes till the top is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool for couple of minutes. Slice into square shapes and serve.
- Enjoy your bite of Grape Focaccia!
Tips
Feel free to explore with fresh olives, or raisins or any topping of your choice. Fresh Basil also will give a great flavor in the bread.
Instinct Factor
Normally the focaccia is served in square pieces, but even triangles shapes would look good, and give a pizza feel!
Feel Factor
Warmth, love, happiness and joy from outdoors into the indoors! Love the red color of grapes on top, the orange glow of baking and crispiness of the bottom texture in the Grape Focaccia. The crunch mingled with softness of the inside and the fragrance of the herbs and olive and hint of sea salt! Wow baking bread is so so easy and satisfying and the house also warms up the bread aroma!! Bon Appetit!
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