harvest focaccia

There’s a chance that focaccia with grapes in it doesn’t exactly sound appetizing to you.

I know. I’ve been there.

However, I want to create a new image in your mind right now.

Think warm, ever-so slightly sweet dough drizzled with honey and sprinkled with sea salt. Think juicy grapes bursting in your mouth and fresh ricotta cheese on top. Think dinner, breakfast, dessert and snack all rolled into one.

The edges of the focaccia are chewy and almost caramelized from the honey, and the whole thing kinda makes you want to jump ship and move to Italy.

Or maybe that’s just me.

First of all, if you’re new to yeast breads, refer to this post first. It doesn’t have to be scary!

And this dough is especially easy because you literally just dump everything together in a bowl, knead, rise and then bake.

No fuss. There’s no time for that!

The thing, though, that really makes this focaccia dough stand out is the addition of a wee bit of honey. A fourth of a cup to be exact. It gives the dough just the hint of sweetness and kind of reminds me of a cross between those delicious soft cinnamon sugar pretzels from the mall and a parker house roll.

In other words, amazing.

And, grapes ain’t your thang? Try sliced bartlett pears. Or even thinly sliced apples.

You could also just smear the whole thing with an absolutely ridiculous amount of nutella and call it a night.

The truth is, I just chose grapes here because they were on sale at Trader Joe’s…and because I live in wine country and it seemed fitting.

Right before you bake this puppy, you drizzle the whole darn thing with more honey, making the end product ridiculously sticky and delicious.

I tried a little bit right out of the oven and it was great…but then I tried another sliver about three hours later and it was out of this world. And then, I couldn’t help myself—I ate a thick slice for dinner, topped with a dollop of ricotta.

I felt like a rebel… in the best possible way.

Harvest Focaccia

adapted from Lucid Food (beautiful cookbook–highly recommend it!)

serves 6

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 + ~1/2 cup warm water (amount of water depends on humidity outside and time of year baked)

1/2 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 cup honey

2 cups seedless sliced red grapes

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp sea salt + another sprinkle to top

Ricotta cheese to top

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water (water should feel like bubble bath temperature) with the granulated sugar. Let sit for five minutes.

In a bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Form a well in the middle and pour in the yeast, additional water, olive oil and 1/4 cup honey.

Either using your hands or a Kitchen Aid with a paddle attachment, knead the dough until it forms a smooth elastic ball. If using a Kitchen Aid, this will take about five minutes on medium high speed. If you’re using your hands, it will take eight to ten minutes.

Place the dough ball in a large bowl rubbed with olive oil, cover, and let rise for one hour and fifteen minutes.

After it’s risen, remove from the bowl and spread out in a greased nine inch cake pan. Press your fingers into the dough to dimple it, and then press in the grapes gently. Cover and let rise for another half an hour.

Preheat your oven to 425. In a small saucepan, bring the additional 1/4 cup honey to a simmer. Pour simmering honey over the focaccia dough and then sprinkle with a pinch more sea salt. Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Serve warm or cold with ricotta cheese on top.