Focaccia with Grapes or Schiacciata con L'uva if you want to get Italian!

 

"Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!"

 

So my Marvin the Martian mug kept (subconsciously) murmuring to me, as the flat and burnish-colored focaccia emerged from the oven.  Something's not right.  Where are the baked peaks and valleys that rose and fell from the dimples in the fresh focaccia dough?  Where is the shimmering lightly-golden crust?  Where are the craters overflowing with amethyst juices from the Concord grapes?  Where are the glistening fragments of sea salt scattered over this cragged landscape of doughy goodness? 

 

But most importantly, where is the kaboom?!?  Specifically, the earth-shattering kaboom?  The moment where the fever pitch of anticipation erupts when the Schiacciata con L'uva, baked to perfection, is finally ready? 

 

Kaboom, my eye.  Kaplooey.  That's all I heard. 

I suppose I'll have to make another grape focaccia.  Now, where did I put my illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator?  I may need it to destroy this one...

 

In case you're wondering what may have gone wrong, I suspect that the 00 flour contributed to a thin-crust focaccia.  Great for a Mexican pizza.  Not so good for this recipe.

 

Focaccia with Grapes (Schiacciata con L'uva)

adapted from Gourmet (January 2001)

 

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
• 3 tablespoons Chianti or other dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 cup warm water (110–115°F)
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups Italian "00" flour or half all-purpose flour and half cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1/4 cup fine-quality extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Tuscan)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 1/2 cups Concord or wine grapes (1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

For crust:
1. Stir together yeast, wine, honey, and warm water in a large bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes. 

2. Stir in 1 cup flour (mixture will be lumpy). Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 40 to 50 minutes. 

3. Add oil, 1 1/2 cups flour, and sea salt and stir until a sticky dough forms.

Knead dough on a floured work surface, gradually adding up to 1/2 cup more flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic but still soft, 8 to 10 minutes. 

4. Transfer dough to an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 

5. Turn out dough onto work surface and knead several times to release air. Cut dough in half. Roll out 1 piece of dough, keeping remaining piece covered, with a lightly floured rolling pin into a rough 12- by 10-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan and gently stretch to cover as much as possible of bottom (dough may not fit exactly). 

6. Scatter half of grapes over dough, then sprinkle grapes with 1/4 cup sugar. Roll out remaining piece of dough in same manner and put on top of grapes, gently stretching dough to cover grapes. Scatter remaining grapes and 1/4 cup sugar on top and gently press into dough. Cover pan with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

7. Bake schiacciata in middle of oven until well browned and firm in middle, 40 to 45 minutes. Loosen sides and bottom of schiacciata with a spatula and slide onto a rack to cool. Serve at room temperature.