Grape Schiacciata

I am considering not buying bread in future and only make it myself.  It is an extremely satisfying experience to bake your own bread and more often than not, it tastes far better than store bought bread.  That said, I still need lots more practice!

Schiacciata is an Italian flat bread and is prepared as a thin sheet of dough with a dimple-surfaced crust and is really quite easy to make for novice bread bakers. 

For a savoury version the dough can be topped with cheese, tomatoes or herbs, but this sweeter version uses black seedless grapes, traditionally made to celebrate harvest season in Tuscany.  It makes a great centre piece on a table. 

For one large flat bread, enough to fill an oven tray, you will need the following:

10g instant yeast

1 tablespoon caster sugar

300ml lukewarm water

125ml olive oil

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh rosemary

400g stone ground flour
(If you live in South Africa, try and find Eureka flour)

1 teaspoon salt

250g seedless grapes

Maldon salt

Stir the yeast and sugar into the water and set aside.  Heat the olive oil with the rosemary over low heat, remove from the heat and cool.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, water and half the oil and mix and then knead for at least 10 minutes.  Place the dough into a clean, oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in volume.  Now add the grapes and knead through.  This is a bit tricky, seeing that the grapes seem as though they don't want to stay inside the dough.  Don't worry, just try to get most of them inside the dough.  Turn the dough onto an oiled oven tray and push into a rectangular shape.Drizzle with the remaining oil and leave to rise another 30 minutes.  Carefully push the grapes into the dough here and there, trying not to disturb the risen dough.  Sprinkle with Maldon salt and bake for 30 - 40 minutes.  Serve luke warm.  YUM!!