Teenie Cakes™

| food, photography, edible gardening & more!

Fall In Love with Grapes – Red & Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto

Red and Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto recipe

Call this a loaded focaccia!

A thinner crusted focaccia with cornmeal and fragrant rosemary, I’ve bejeweled this rustic bread with both red and black California grapes. The sweetness of the grapes paired with salty prosciutto and tangy goat cheese makes this more than just a small plate or mere appetizer. Your palate is going to be wowed by complimentary ingredients like red onions and buttery pine nuts sprinkled throughout this sweet-and-savory dish!

Red and Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto recipe

Red and Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto

In season and not just for easy and fun portable snacking, green, red and black California grapes are colorful and healthful additions to a myriad of dishes:

  • Toss colorful grapes into salads or brighten up a quinoa dish!
  • Skewer red, black or green grapes with other ingredients next time you fire up the barbeque.
  • Fresh or frozen, add grapes to your power drinks and smoothies.
  • Roast grapes with other vegetables and nuts as a balanced side dish. Roasting grapes not only brings out a wonderful texture and depth of flavor, is livens up a dish with its glistening skin colors. (See also my post on Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grapes and Walnuts!)

With a long growing season, grapes from California are accessible from May through January and account for 99% of commercially grown grapes produced in our country.

Selection and Storage Tips:

  1. Select grapes that are plump and have pliable stems.
  2. Keep grapes unwashed and refrigerated until ready to use. Before serving or using, rinse with cold water.

Red and Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto recipe

Health Benefits and Good Stuff

Whether you’re enjoying a bunch of red, black or green grapes, they are all natural sources of beneficial antioxidants, polyphenols and resveratrol (usually found in red wines). Polyphenols help maintain a healthy heart. Just one 3/4 cup serving of grapes, contain a mere 90 calories, no cholesterol or fats and practically no sodium!

All of the good stuff in grapes and in my knockout recipe for Red & Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto!

Fall In Love with Grapes – Red & Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto

Red and Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto recipe

Focaccia dough prep and rising.

This is a thinner focaccia with hints of cornmeal, rosemary and olive oil throughout the crispier crust. In the image above, the dough is rising to a little more than twice its size. It’s an easy and forgiving dough to work with, one that stretches into place well and holds its shape. Here, I’ve used a deep dish pizza pan, but you can simply shape it into a rectangle or square on a baking sheet.

When it’s baking – the aroma will have your senses waiting in anticipation. The sweet aroma of the roasting grapes alongside the bits of red onions, prosciutto, rosemary and olive oil is just lovely. Visually, the shimmering juice from the grapes and lightly toasted tops of the goat cheese, beckons you to hurry up and slice it up and serve. This is a dish of rustic, yet elegant flavors!

Red and Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto recipe

I like to take the end crust (that’s also used as handle while I’m eating a piece), and dip it into some extra-virgin olive oil…magnifico!

Like a little spiciness? Sprinkle some red pepper flakes on individual servings!

Serve this beautiful focaccia with a crisp and light white wine, like a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio…it’s good eats!

Some Notes
  • Dough will initially be quite wet and sticky. During kneading, work a tablespoon at a time to both your working surface, dough ball and hands and continue working to a workable consistency.
  • Dimpling the dough traps the olive oil, allowing the oil to absorb into the focaccia resulting in a crisp crust with a moist, tender interior.
  • Be sure to use the sweetest red and black grapes possible.
  • Using a 14-inch pizza pan will make for a thinner focaccia with this recipe. If you’d prefer a thicker bread, use a smaller sized pizza pan or just shape the dough in an oval on a baking sheet.

YOU’RE INVITED…WITH A CHANCE TO WIN PRIZES!
Join the Grapes From California Twitter Party for a chance to win prizes!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014
9:00 PM EST / 6:00 PST
Follow the hashtag #GrapesfromCA

Click on this link to register at EventBrite.

Read more and Fall In Love with Grapes from California
– Follow on Facebook.
– Join the conversation on Twitter and join the Twitter party.
– Follow on Pinterest.
– Watch on YouTube.

DISCLOSURE: I received compensation from the California Table Grape Commission for participation in their “Fall In Love with Grapes” promotion. The recipe development, thoughts, opinions and coverage are my own.

Red & Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto

 print

Red & Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto
6-8 servings
Ingredients
    CRUST

  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for prep
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
  • 3/4 cup lukewarm water (about 90°-110°)
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for prep
  • 2/3 cup fine cornmeal
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    TOPPING

  • 2 1/4 – 3 cups black and red California seedless grapes, halved
  • 2/3 cup red onion, chopped small ( about ¼ of a medium-sized red onion)
  • 5-6 ounces goat cheese
  • 2/3 cup prosciutto, loosely shredded and not packed (about 57 grams)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
Method
  1. In a small pan, warm olive oil over medium heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of rosemary. Remove pan from heat and let it cool.
  2. Pour the 3/4 cup of water in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over it and let it stand until foamy, about 5-8 minutes.
  3. Stir in the olive oil/rosemary mixture, flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt to yeast mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms. The dough will initially be wet and sticky.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon at a time of more flour to dough ball, and working surface as you work the dough. This could take as much as another 1/3 cup of flour until the dough is workable, but not sticky.
  5. Oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Coat lightly with the olive oil. Cover bowl with a dish towel and place in a warm place to allow it to rise until the dough has doubled, about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.
  6. Heat oven to 400°. Oil a 14-inch deep dish pizza pan -OR- a large baking sheet. (Note: Using a 14-inch pizza pan will make for a thinner focaccia with this recipe.)
  7. Work the dough with your fingers to stretch along the edges of the pan.
  8. Dimple the dough by pushing your fingertips into the dough right down to the base/bottom of the pan. The dough may deflate, slightly. Drizzle with olive oil (about ¼-1/3 cup). Scatter the grapes and pine nuts over the dough, pressing them lightly into the dough to hold. Eveny distribute red onions, goat cheese, prosciutto, pine nuts and rosemary. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes, rotating pan about half-way through baking time.
    © Images & content: Cristina A-Moore for TeenieCakes.com.
Teenie Notes
  • Dough will initially be quite wet and sticky. During kneading, work a tablespoon at a time to both your working surface, dough ball and hands and continue working to workable consistency.
  • Dimpling the dough traps the olive oil, allowing the oil to absorb into the focaccia resulting in a crisp crust with a moist, tender interior.
  • Be sure to use the sweetest red and black grapes possible.
  • Using a 14-inch pizza pan will make for a thinner focaccia with this recipe. If you’d prefer a thicker bread, use a smaller sized pizza pan or just shape the dough in an oval on a baking sheet.
  • Like spicy? Sprinkle red pepper flakes right before serving.
  • Serve with a crisp white wine, like a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.


Red and Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto recipe

Red and Black Grapes Focaccia with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sippitysup says

    This is fantastic. I was just thinking about a grape and prosciutto pizza I had from The Urban Oven food truck here in LA! It’s such an amazing combination and you really up the game here with goat cheese. Gorgeous. GREG

  11. Jas deVera says

    I could easily eat several slices of your beautiful Focaccia right now. I love the combination of the prosciutto, grapes, pine nuts and goat cheese. This would make a wonderful addition to the holiday spread. Beautiful photography!!!

  12. Patty says

    I love everything about your recipes ..and I do forget about using grapes in cooking..I see there are tons of grapes in the market right now and I’m inspired to bring some home! Your focaccia is a perfect meal for our beautiful fall season, thanks for sharing such a delicious and pretty meal

    • Cristina says

      You’re so sweet, Patty and I’m so glad you’re back. Looking forward to baking with you (if I can get my act together/organized) for Dorie’s Baking Chez Moi. 😉

    • Cristina says

      Thanks so much, Laura. I made the focaccia several times during the last week and I have to admit, it’s hard to stop at just one piece (and it tastes so good cold too!). 🙂

  15. Jess says

    Salivating over this focaccia! The grapes do look like jewels and using it with those ingredients for sweet and salty takes it over the top. Beautiful Christina!

    • Cristina says

      Thank you, Jess. Yes, the sweetness from the grapes and the flavors of the goat cheese and prosciutto are really excellent together (as with the red onions and pine nuts too!). 😉

[instagram-feed]