I recently had the pleasure of taking a Sunday cooking class at Williams-Sonoma at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall. The class was taught and led by the talented and graceful Maude Eaton. With an extensive culinary education and background Maude brings a wealth of knowledge to the table and palate. The topic of the class was Focaccia Making with Oil and Vinegar Tasting. It was extremely informative and also hands on, which is the best way for me to learn. Everyone worked together collaboratively, taking turns mixing, chopping, kneading, and then my favorite part…eating.
I hadn’t eaten much focaccia before taking this class and I am saddened at that fact because I have been truly missing out. Not only did we make appetizer-like focaccia but we also made a dessert focaccia with grapes, sugar, and blood orange infused olive oil. It would be this recipe right here, that stopped me in my tracks and made me fall in love with focaccia on a whole new level. This focaccia holds onto the nostalgia of summer with it’s grapes and blood orange flavor but invites the presence of fall with the hint of Rosemary in the dough. If you’re a sentimentalist about summer but have reservations on the coming of fall as I do, then this recipe is for you. This grape & blood orange olive oil infused focaccia has been adapted for your viewing then eating pleasure. Enjoy!
Grape & Blood Orange Olive Oil Infused Focaccia
Ingredients
2 1/2 tsp (1 -package) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups milk
4 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for greasing
5 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup red seedless grapes
1/4 cup green seedless grapes
3 tbsp. blood-orange infused olive oil
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
Prepare
1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir until dissolved. Add the milk and 4 tbsp. of the regular extra virgin olive oil and stir to combine.
2. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, salt, and rosemary. Add the yeast mixture and stir until a soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape it into a ball.
3. Oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn it once to coat the top. Cover the bowl with elastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
4. Oil a 15-by-10-by-1 inch jelly roll pan. Punch down the dough, transfer to the prepared pan, and flatten it out with your hands to cover the bottom completely. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F.
6. Using your fingertips, press down firmly into the dough and make dimples about 1 inch apart and 1 inch deep.
7. Press grapes into dough, sprinkle with sugar, and drizzle with blood orange infused olive oil.
8. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Slide focaccia onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.
- 2 1/2 tsp (1 -package) active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 4 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 5 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup red seedless grapes
- 1/4 cup green seedless grapes
- 3 tbsp. blood-orange infused olive oil
- 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir until dissolved. Add the milk and 4 tbsp. of the regular extra virgin olive oil and stir to combine.
- In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, salt, and rosemary. Add the yeast mixture and stir until a soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape it into a ball.
- Oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn it once to coat the top. Cover the bowl with elastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Oil a 15-by-10-by-1 inch jelly roll pan. Punch down the dough, transfer to the prepared pan, and flatten it out with your hands to cover the bottom completely. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F.
- Using your fingertips, press down firmly into the dough and make dimples about 1 inch apart and 1 inch deep.
- Press grapes into dough, sprinkle with sugar, and drizzle with blood orange infused olive oil.
- Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Slide focaccia onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.
