Pillowy, soft, crispy edged, sweet & salty heaven…
Fluffy Black Pepper Focaccia Genovese with Grapes & Rosemary! So perfect for Fall. Soft, pillowy bread with a golden brown crust topped with rosemary, flaky salt, freshly cracked black pepper and Coronation Grapes. “Doesn’t she mean Concord Grapes?” No, she doesn’t. š
Coronation grapes are Concord grapes seedless fruit cousin. They have the same dark colour and same grapey (is that a word?) flavour, but no seeds. Which makes me very, very happy since I’m putting them on top of my bread and I feel seeds would give a real bubblegum & nuts vibe which is very blech.
You can only these grapes at this time of year and they’re bright, deep flavour is perfect for this month of weather confusion. Which also leads to wardrobe confusion… Do I need a jacket? Yes, but only until noon and after 8pm. Can I wear shorts still? Yes, but with a sweater on top. This is also the only time of year you can live where I live and actually wear your puffy vest. It’s hard friends.
What do I need to know about making Fluffy Black Pepper Focaccia Genovese?
First there is one very important point to remember:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is our friend here. We will not skimp and we will rub it all over our hands several times to prevent sticking when we play with the dough which we do a lot and is very fun. Focaccia making is like grown up playing with play dough except that it’s perfectly acceptable to eat it when we’re done playing.
After that it’s all about a little mixing and a bunch of waiting. But not too much waiting so don’t get scared. This focaccia has a quicker rise than some and that’s only because I’m impatient and one day when I really wanted focaccia today – not tomorrow – I had to figure out a version that did not require and overnight rest. You’re welcome.
What Ingredients do you need to make this focaccia bread?
- Water – warm water
- Active Dry Yeast
- All Purpose Flour
- Flaky Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper – I like a mix of finely ground and coarsely ground pepper
- Fresh Rosemary Leaves
- Grapes – optional, but a fun addition
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Anything Special You Need to Know?
I always use extra virgin olive oil in Focaccia bread. Extra virgin has the best flavour and because we use a lot of it we want it to taste good don’t we? Say yes,
Remember when restaurants used to pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar on a little plate and shake it up for you to dip your focaccia into? Maybe it’s nostalgia, but that’s still my favourite way to eat it. Otherwise, serve it however you like… with soup, salad, grilled meats and roasted veg, on a brunch spread, alongside a charcuterie board, or just straight up, completely on its own. You can’t do it wrong.
It’s been around probably since the 2nd century BC! You can read more about the history and different types of Focaccia bread here.
Recipe-ish…
Let me know what you think!
Fluffy Black Pepper Focaccia Genovese with Grapes & Rosemary
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 5 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 1/4 cups seedless Coronation/Concord grapes
- Flaky salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix the warm water with the yeast and the sugar in a bowl and let sit for around 10 minutes until foamy.
- Add in the flour and sea salt.
- Mix with an electric mixer using the dough hook, starting on low speed and increasing to medium as the ingredients come together. Mix for about 10 minutes. Dough should be soft, smooth and sticky.
- Drizzle the dough with about 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, turn the dough over a few times to make sure itās all coated. Cover and let rise 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
- Pour about 2 Tbsp olive oil into a 9āx13ā baking pan and spread it evenly all over the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Lightly punch down the dough and dump it into the baking pan, turning it over a couple of times and then spreading it to fill the pan in a rectangle shape.
- Let the dough rise again, uncovered, for another hour or so, until it fills the pan.
- Oil your hands and make dimples all over the dough.
- Pour another 1 Tbsp of oil evenly over the dough.
- Evenly distribute the grapes and rosemary leaves over the surface of the dough.
- Sprinkle evenly with flaky salt and a good amount of freshly cracked black pepper (I do some finely ground and some coarse).
- Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
If you like this Fluffy Black Pepper Focaccia Genovese with Grapes & Rosemary Recipe please go try my Recipe for Baked Halloumi and Root Vegetables on Polenta. I think both dishes would go so well together.
