Well there were still grapes in the fridge and so what to do. Many years ago I recall watching a cooking program that I was sure was The de Medici Kitchen and there was a description of a flat-bread being made at harvest time stuffed and topped with grapes. OK, a sweet foccacia !!
So I looked through my books by Lorenza de Medici and could not find the recipe. So, then looked through other Italian books and finally found it in Claudia Roden's book "The Food of Italy" on page 137. Although my older edition has a different cover.
There is a link to search the book here and Judith Sweet (this week's theme !) wrote up the recipe in the Hobart Mercury here.
It is a very simple dish and a good way to use up grapes while making bread. You can just use all grapes or for a boozy taste use the dessert wine- soaked raisins. You can just use your favourite bread dough or pizza dough as the base with some sugar added.
It is a rustic dish and designed to be eaten by the grape pickers.
Florentine flat bread with grapes
(Schiacciata con l’uva)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp fresh yeast or 1 tbsp dried yeast
150ml milk, lukewarm
300g bakers' flour
130g sugar
pinch salt
500g black grapes, pitted, skin on
200g raisins soaked in Vin Santo or other
sweet dessert wine.
Method:
If using fresh yeast, place it in the TM bowl with the milk and mix for 10 seconds at 37°C on speed 4. Add flour, 100g of sugar and the salt and mix for 15 seconds at 37°C on speed 4.
If using dried yeast, add it to the flour, 100g of sugar and the salt and mix for 10 seconds at 37°C on speed 4. Then add the milk and mix for 15 seconds at 37°C on speed 4.
Place the Thermomix into the Closed Lid position and set to use the Interval button to Knead for 3 minutes then leave in the TM bowl to double in size.
Once doubled, punch the dough done and set the machine to knead for another 1 minute 30 seconds.
Remove dough and shape into two rounds about 22cm across.
Place one on a floured baking tray and cover it with half the grapes and half the raisins, drained.
Place the remaining dough on top, press down quite firmly and cover with the rest of
the grapes and drained raisins.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cover the dough and leave until doubled in size.
Sprinkle with the remaining 30g sugar and bake for about 45 minutes, until golden on top.
Posts
Thanks for sharing your Thermomix version of this delicious bread! I've wanted to try making Schiacciata for years and now have finally taken the plunge with my TMX. Just thought I'd share my experience with this recipe - I used dried yeast and followed the appropriate Thermomix directions with no success. At the end of the kneading stage the yeast was still clearly visible as individual "grains" (i.e. it did not dissolve and disperse throughout the dough, and the dough failed to rise.
ReplyDeleteI made a second batch, where I activated the dried yeast in the lukewarm milk prior to adding it to the dry ingredients. The results were great - the dough proved well and the end result was absolutely delicious!
Hope you don't mind this feedback, just thought you might have made it with fresh yeast yourself and not had a change to test it with dried yeast.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
ReplyDeleteWhen I use dried yeast, although i have been told it is not necessary, I always activate it with some of the flour and some sugar, just to make sure it is "working".
I wonder if the liquid that you added was too hot? and killed the yeast?
One day a week i help out at a local restaurant and they just mix the dried yeast in with the flour and then the liquid without activating it - but I like to see bubbles before adding more flour and ingredients.
... and don't apologise for commenting - all comments are helpful. If they are offensive i can delete them.
have you joined the English forum ?