his is traditional in Tuscany during the wine grape harvest. It's a true classic; you can see it pictured on the frescos in Etruscan tombs! Schiacciata comes from the Italian verb schiacciare meaning "flattened" or "crushed." In Italy, we use Uva Fragola grapes. Concord grapes or blueberries are a good substitute.
Here's the recipe!
2 pounds grapes
1 pound flour
1 package dry yeast
One-half cup sugar
One-quarter cup olive oil
1 branch rosemary
Heat the rosemary branch in olive oil and let sit until cool. Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup warm water. Place the flour in a large bowl. Pour yeast mixture into the center and stir to incorporate. Remove the rosemary from the oil and add the cooled oil to the bread dough. Add 4 tablespoons sugar and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and divide in half.
Roll out half of the dough to fit in a round or rectangular pan. Cover with half the grapes, removed from their stems. Sprinkle with half the remaining sugar and drizzle with olive oil. Roll out the other half of the dough to fit. Cover the grapes, sealing the edges with the bottom layer of dough. Push down to crush the grapes; while baking the dough will absorb the juices. Cover top layer of dough with remaining grapes and repeat the process. Sprinkle with sugar, drizzle with olive oil, and crush the grapes.
For the top layer, I push down on each grape, pushing it into the dough and crushing it to release the juices. Sprinkle with sugar and drizzle with olive oil. For an Etruscan touch, drizzle with honey. Bake at 350 degrees until golden. If possible, baste with any juices while it's baking. Baking time should be about 45 minutes. This is traditionally served as a dessert bread, but I love it at breakfast.
Cin-Cin!
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