I made something super tasty and super easy. I don't know if I ever posted the recipe here or not...And since I've met the author and since my wife e-mailed him for this recipe since we boxed up the book, I have to credit James McNair and exhort you to buy his Napa Valley Cookbook (and read my review of it on Amazon). It's a pretty cookbook, really great photography and really good, basic and fairly easily accomplished recipes that will make you look like a genius. Like this one.
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Grape Harvest Flat Bread
Americans have come to identify all Italian flat breads or hearth breads, other than pizza, as focaccia, a Ligurian term. Tuscans, however, call their regional flat bread schiacciata, including this one, which is traditionally made in the Chianti region to celebrate the grape harvest. Since Napa Valley and Chianti are similar in so many ways, it seems appropriate that this slightly sweet bread now makes an appearance in the valley each autumn.
Enjoy this flat bread with lunch or as an afternoon treat with a glass of wine, but be sure to save some for breakfast.
Suggested wine: Pinot Noir.
1/4 cup sugar
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast or quick-rising yeast
3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Olive oil for brushing
3 cups seeded wine grapes or seedless grapes
Sugar for sprinkling, preferably large crystals ("Sugar-in-the-Raw" or Demerara sugar is good here)
In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of the sugar in 1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F). Sprinkle the yeast over the water, stir to dissolve, and let stand until soft and foamy, about 5 minutes. (Discard the mixture and start over with fresh yeast if bubbles have not formed within 5 minutes.)
In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with a flat beater, combine 3 cups of the flour, the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, and the salt. Mix at the lowest speed for a few seconds. Add the 1/4 cup oil and the yeast mixture and continue to mix at the same speed for about 1 minute. Replace the flat beater with the dough hook and knead at medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Pinch off a piece of dough and feel it. If it is sticky, continue kneading while gradually adding just enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour for the dough to lose its stickiness. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add warm water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Using a pastry brush, generously grease a large bowl with oil. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl, and turn to coat all over with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap to prevent moisture loss and set aside in a warm, draft-free place for the dough to rise until tripled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours if using quick-rising yeast, or about 3 hours if using regular yeast.
Meanwhile, to prepare the grapes, preheat an oven to 250 degrees F.
Place the grapes in a single layer in a baking pan, transfer to the oven, and bake just until the grapes are hot and juicy, 15 to 20 minutes; do not allow the grapes to pop open. Transfer the pan to a work surface to cool.
Generously brush a baking sheet with oil. Punch down the dough, then divide it into 2 equal pieces. Form 1 piece into a flat disk and place it in the center of the prepared baking sheet. Using your fingertips, and pulling and stretching with your hands as needed, spread the dough into a round about 12 inches in diameter; it may be springy and a bit difficult to spread. Spoon about one-half of the grapes over the dough, spreading evenly, then press the grapes into the dough with your fingertips. Sprinkle the grapes with about 1 tablespoon sugar.
Form the remaining piece of dough into a disk and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Pull and stretch it into a 12-inch round in the same manner. Place it over the grape-studded dough and press around the edges with your fingertips to adhere the 2 pieces of dough together. Scatter the remaining grapes over the top and press them in gently with your fingertips. Brush the dough all over with oil. Sprinkle generously with sugar. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to rise until puffy, about 30 minutes if using quick-rising yeast, or 45 minutes to 1 hour if using regular yeast.
Position racks so that the bread will bake in the middle of an oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake the flat bread until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. If the bread puffs up during baking, prick it with a wooden skewer to release air.
Remove the flat bread to a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 8 servings
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I used a baking stone and it worked wonderfully. I recommend these over pans; the bottom cooks really nicely and not soggy. This is important because the grapes will make some moisture.
One friend was convinced there was cheese in the recipe. There was not, but after thinking for a moment, I can't think of any reason why not...wine certainly goes with cheese, and grapes too...Possibly goat cheese or even really good parmesan cheese, maybe in small slivers rather than grated? I haven't tried this but it sounds good. Also I was thinking about this recipe substituting pears for the grapes, maybe with blue cheese. If you haven't tried pears with blue cheese, you'll be surprised how well they go together.
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