Grape Focaccia with Rosemary
Grape Rosemary Focaccia
A crisp-edged olive oil focaccia topped with juicy grapes, rosemary, coarse sugar, and sea salt for a sweet-savory bread.
This grape focaccia lands between bread basket, appetizer, and not-too-sweet snack. The dough is enriched with olive oil, stretched into two small rounds, and topped with grapes that collapse just enough to stain the bread with purple juices.
Rosemary keeps the bread firmly savory, while coarse sugar and sea salt make the topping bright and balanced. Concord grapes bring the deepest flavor, but seedless red, black, or Thomcord grapes make the recipe easier for everyday baking.
The dough is soft, so oil and flour are both useful: oil prevents sticking during the rises, and a little flour helps when shaping. Pressing the dough with oiled fingertips creates the dimples that catch grape juices and olive oil.
Serve the focaccia warm or at room temperature. It is especially good cut into wedges with cheese, cured meats, roasted tomatoes, or a glass of chilled wine.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Stir the warm water, warm milk, granulated sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
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2
Add the flour, fine salt, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.
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3
Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for about 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and still slightly sticky.
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4
Oil a large bowl, scrape in the dough, and turn it once to coat. Cover and let rise in a cool room until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
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5
Press down the dough with a floured hand, turn it onto a lightly floured surface, and divide it into two equal pieces.
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6
Brush a large baking sheet generously with olive oil. Place the dough pieces on it, brush the tops with more oil, cover with a towel, and rest for 20 minutes.
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7
With oiled fingertips, press and stretch each piece into an 8- to 9-inch round, leaving deep dimples across the surface.
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8
Cover again and let rise until puffy, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 450°F near the end of the rise.
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9
Brush the rounds with the remaining olive oil, then scatter the grapes, rosemary, coarse sugar, and coarse sea salt evenly over the tops.
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10
Bake for 15 minutes, until puffed and golden at the edges. Cool briefly, then serve warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
- Warm Water, 105°F to 110°F:3/4 cup
- Whole Milk, slightly warmed:2 tablespoons
- Granulated Sugar:1 1/2 teaspoons
- Active Dry Yeast:1 1/4 teaspoons
- All-Purpose Flour:2 cups
- Fine Salt:1/2 teaspoon
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:6 tablespoons
- Seedless Red or Black Grapes, halved:1 1/2 cups
- Fresh Rosemary Leaves:1 teaspoon
- Coarse Sugar:2 tablespoons
- Coarse Sea Salt:1 1/2 teaspoons
Tips & Notes
- If using seeded Concord grapes, halve them and remove the seeds with the tip of a sharp paring knife before topping the dough.
- Use the lower amount of coarse salt if your salt crystals are very large or strongly flavored.
- The dough can be mixed by hand with a wooden spoon, then kneaded on a floured counter until elastic.
- Leftovers reheat well in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
