Grape Focaccia

This recipe was voted on to Foodbuzz Top 9. Thanks very much for the love!! :))

Somethings are just meant to be, don't you think? It happens with me and food many times. You see, I go a bit crazy when I see fruits that are new in the season and just hoard them. Inevitably, I get tired of eating them plain, push them to the back of the fridge (and my mind) and hope I come across an idea to use them. Usually, I am in luck! :) I know, the law of averages is likely to catch up. But, until then let me be pleasantly surprised each time! :)

And, it happened again.. This time, it was concord grapes. Incidentally, I don't even like them all that much. But, it was new on shelf and despite everything (I must confess, I didn't try very hard), it ended up in my shopping basket. Anyway, after a few stems of the grapes, I got tired of their tartness and the seeds! So, in the fridge they went. As it would happen, I was browsing the pages of the blogs I follow and came across a recipe for a focaccia with concord grapes on Baking Obsession. I mean, is that a sign or what?! :))

So, I set about making the made-for-me focaccia with grapes, semolina and goat cheese. The bread was nice and fluffy but the goat cheese did not turn out to be the best choice because it does not melt as well, just softens a bit. As to the grapes, I really liked the flavor they added to the focaccia but did not really like the crunch from the seeds. So, I would definitely make it again but next time, will use seedless grapes. Nevertheless, thanks to Vera for the inspiration :)

Grape Focaccia
(adapted from Baking Obsession)

**
The bread is best eaten the day it is made. It becomes a bit hard the next day.
The sponge has to be made the previous day and slowly fermented in the refrigerator overnight.
**

For the sponge (make a day ahead):
4 cup warm water
1/8 tsp + a pinch active dry yeast
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the dough:
sponge from above
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 T + 3 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup semolina
1 cups grapes (recommend seedless, can use seeded if you don't mind the crunch)
salt as per taste

For the sponge:
Stir the yeast in warm water and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in the flour to make a lump-free smooth mixture. Place in a warm place and let rise for about 2 hours. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.
Can be refrigerated for upto two days.

On the day of baking:
Stir the yeast in warm water and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk until the yeast is dissolved. Add the starter and olive oil and mix to combine. Switch to a wooden spoon and gradually stir in the flour, semolina, and salt until combined. Gently knead the dough with oiled hands until the dough clears the sides of the bowl, is tacky but not sticky. Add a bit more of the flour if the dough appears too wet. If your hands stick too much to the dough, rub a couple of drops of oil on your palms and continue kneading.

Remove the dough and lightly oil the bowl (it should be reasonably greased from the kneading process itself). Place the dough back into the bowl, loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for an hour or so until it has doubled in volume.

Lightly oil a baking sheet to prevent dough from sticking. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Stretch the dough to 1 inch thickness. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. At least 30 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Dimple the dough gently with the fingertips, drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Scatter the grapes over the dough.

Bake the focaccia until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. As soon as you remove the focaccia from the oven, brush the edges with a bit of olive oil. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and transfer to a rack to complete cooling.

Btw, it tastes great when had warm!

And, this one is going to YeastSpotting!

This post was featured on October 8 Foodbuzz Top 9!! :)))