Schiacciata all'UvaTuscan Grape Flatbread — Schiacciata all’Uva

Knead the bread dough

• 1 Take 50 ml of the 150 ml water at 30°C in a small bowl. Crumble in 5 g fresh yeast with your fingers and stir until completely dissolved.
• 2 Sift 250 g type 0 bread flour into a large bowl, add 5 g fine salt and 20 g granulated sugar, and mix by hand.
• 3 Make a well in the flour, pour in the yeast water and use your fingertips to draw the flour gradually into the center.
• 4 Add the remaining 100 ml lukewarm water in 3 additions, mixing by hand until no dry flour remains and the dough comes together.
• 5 Add 30 ml extra virgin olive oil in 2 additions, kneading each addition into the dough until absorbed.
• 6 Transfer to a worktop dusted with a little of the 10 g dusting flour. Fold the dough away from you and stretch it with the heel of your hand, repeating for 10–12 minutes.

Let the dough rise

• 1 Round the dough and place it in a bowl coated with 2 ml olive oil.
• 2 Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and leave at 25–28°C for 90 minutes.

Prepare the grapes and aromatics

• 1 MeanwhileDo this while the dough undergoes its first rise.
• 2 Remove the stems from 600 g grapes, wash and dry thoroughly.
• 3 Strip the leaves from 1 sprig rosemary and chop coarsely; lightly crush 2 g anise seeds between your fingers.

Divide the dough and arrange the lower grape layer

• 1 Brush 13 ml olive oil over the entire surface of a baking tray about 30 × 20 cm.
• 2 Gently press the risen dough to release the gas and divide it into 2 portions in a 6:4 ratio by weight.
• 3 Place the larger portion (6) on the oiled tray. With oiled fingertips, press from the center outward until it covers the base at about 4 mm thick.
• 4 Arrange half the grapes, 300 g, evenly over it, leaving a 1 cm border.
• 5 Sprinkle 30 g granulated sugar over the entire lower grape layer, then scatter over the 2 g crushed anise seeds.

Cover with the second sheet and add grapes and rosemary

• 1 Oil the worktop with 5 ml olive oil and place the smaller dough portion on it. Flatten with your palms to about 3 mm thick and the size of the tray.
• 2 Lift the sheet with both hands and cover the lower grapes. Press and pinch the upper and lower dough together along all edges to seal.
• 3 Arrange the remaining 300 g grapes on top, pressing them lightly into the dough.
• 4 Drizzle the remaining 10 ml olive oil evenly over the dough.
• 5 Sprinkle 40 g granulated sugar over the entire surface and scatter over the chopped rosemary.

Let the assembled dough rise again

• 1 MeanwhileDuring the final 15 minutes of this second rise, preheat the oven to 220°C.
• 2 Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at 25–28°C for 30–45 minutes.

Bake through while reducing the grape juice

• 1 Place the tray on the lower rack of the oven preheated to 220°C and bake for 15 minutes.
• 2 Reduce to 190°C and bake for a further 25–30 minutes.
• 3 If the top darkens first, cover with foil and check the color of the base.

Cool in the tray and cut

• 1 Set the tray on a rack and leave to cool undisturbed for 40 minutes.
• 2 Slide a palette knife underneath to release the whole bread from the tray and transfer to a cutting board.
• 3 Use a sharp knife to cut into 8–10 cm squares and arrange on a plate.