Hi Bold Bakers!
If you’ve never had — or heard of — Grape and Rosemary Focaccia, it is the perfect combination of sweet and salty and it’s nearly impossible not to want to polish off the entire thing! Grape focaccia, or Schiacciata Con L’uva, or grape harvesters’ focaccia, actually has a deep history in Tuscany, where people would make this bread to represent the annual autumn harvest of grapes!
Grapes that are harvested for wine and focaccia? That’s a win-win for me!
My homemade grape and rosemary focaccia recipe uses honey instead of sugar. And, traditionally, there’s no rosemary in grape harvesters’ focaccia, but I wanted to add a savory flavor to help balance the sweetness of the honey and grapes.
The end product has all the flavor notes I love together, and it looks absolutely beautiful!
What Is Grape and Rosemary Focaccia?
Grape and rosemary focaccia is a type of flatbread that is somehow irresistible, perfectly salty, sweet, and olive oily all in one bite. This recipe creates focaccia with an amazing crisp outside but super soft inside.
Can’t you imagine serving this with some wine and cheese right as the autumn leaves are at their peak?
The Type Of Grapes
The best grapes to use for focaccia have got to be Concord grapes! They’re harvested in Septemeber through late October, and they’re best when they are in season.
If you’ve never had a Concord grape before, I guarantee it will blow your mind! The skin is thick, and a little sour, but the juice inside is so sweet, it tastes just like grape juice! (Which makes sense, huh?)
What You Need To Make Grape And Rosemary Focaccia
How To Make Grape And Rosemary Focaccia
If you think you’re in for a difficult time, think again. Here’s what you can expect from this recipe (don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below).
- The day before you plan to bake your focaccia, combine the flour, yeast, and salt into a large bowl. Add the water and stir with either a large spoon or your hand until the flour is completely incorporated. The dough should be sticky! Don’t panic if it’s sticky, because that’s right.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a reusable shower cap) and a kitchen towel. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 18-24 hours.
- The next day, pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a 10″ baking pan. Use your fingertips to scrape about 1/2 of the dough out of the bowl and into the pan. Turn it, so both sides get coated in olive oil, then spread the dough out to the sides of the pan. If it springs back while shaping, allow the dough to relax for 20 minutes.
- Once spread out, sprinkle about half of the grapes, rosemary, and honey on top.
- Place the remaining dough on top and carefully cover the filling while stretching it out to the pan’s corners. Top with the remaining grapes, rosemary, honey, and olive oil.
- Sprinkle with coarse sea salt!
- Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and a towel and let it proof again for about 45 minutes.
- When you’re ready to bake, use your first three fingers to dimple the dough’s surface all over. This dimpling is what makes the focaccia bubbly.
- Bake in a preheated 425°F (210°C) oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. To avoid an overly browned bottom, bake it on top of another inverted baking pan.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Grape And Rosemary Focaccia
- Use Concord grapes! But remember to de-seed them if they have seeds!
- Make the focaccia up to 2 days in advance. The flavors and textures will improve as it sits and ferments.
- Don’t be shy with that olive oil! If you think you’re using too much, you probably aren’t. Focaccia should be an almost oily bread.
- If you use instant yeast, add it to the flour. If you are using active yeast, you will need to activate it in the liquid first.
- If you want chewier focaccia, use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour.
How Do I Store Grape And Rosemary Focaccia?
Leftovers can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days. If you would like to freeze your focaccia, wrap it in parchment paper and place it in an airtight container.
Make More Focaccia!
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!