Grapes are one of the ingredients that are harvested around Succot time and make perfect partners for this deliciously tender focaccia. The bread is a lovely balance of salt and sweet, crunchy and soft and utterly more-ish.

Serves: 10 – 12

Prep: 15 minutes and 3+ hours rising time

Cook: 20-25 min

Ingredients

For the dough:
400g strong white flour
8g salt
3g fast acting dried yeast (or 6g fresh yeast)
320ml water at room temperature
40ml olive oil
For the topping:
20ml extra virgin olive oil
300g black grapes ie: Sable
½ tsp coarse rock salt or sea salt flakes
2-3 sticks of fresh rosemary

Method

• There is no need to use a mixer for this recipe as the dough is worked very little. Mix the flour, salt and dried yeast in a large bowl. If using fresh yeast, then dissolve it in water in a separate bowl. Create a small well in the center of the flour mixture and add the liquid.
• Stir with a spoon to bring the mixture together to form a loose dough. Now work it with your hands, inside the bowl, for about a minute - this is very sticky and lumpy, but don’t worry, it will all come together whilst folding and rising.
• Add the oil to the dough in the bowl, but don’t work it in, simply smear it all over and give your dough a fold by pulling the dough from the bottom up, stretching it and folding it over the other side. Give the bowl (or dough) one quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Continue until you complete a full circle of four folds. You’ll see that at every turn the stretch becomes tighter, that’s normal. Leave the extra oil in the bowl, this will eventually be absorbed with each subsequent fold.
• Cover the dough with cling film or a clean tea towel and leave, at room temperature for 45-60 minutes. Give your dough three more folds – again, a cycle of 4 turns each time – resting for 45-60 minutes each time. At this stage you can either put the dough, covered, in the fridge overnight, or else continue with the next steps.
• Gently slide the dough into an oven tray approximately 25x30cm. Fold the dough in half. Add the extra virgin olive oil on top of the dough and gently massage and stretch it to spread it out into the tray. Gently make dimples with your fingertips. Scatter the grapes on top, the rosemary and the coarse salt, cover and leave it for 30 minutes (or 1 hour if you kept the dough in the fridge).
• Pre-heat oven at 230°C fan/mark 7 or as hot as your oven will go.
• To keep the focaccia moist while baking, put a small ovenproof saucepan or baking tray, half-filled with hot water, at the bottom of the oven. Bake the focaccia in the middle shelf for 20-25 minutes depending on your oven, until the top is crispy and golden. Take it out from the oven, and from the tray, immediately to a cooling rack so the bottom stays crispy. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Instagram: @silvia_nacamulli