Schiacciata con l’uva
Food rules
Years—okay, decades—ago, I was newly living in Rome and only just beginning to understand the customs and unwritten rules governing food.
Certain dishes are made with onion, others with garlic, but rarely both. Parmigiano Reggiano tops certain pastas, but Pecorino Romano is the only option for others. Some recipes call for pancetta, while others strictly require guanciale. Lord forbid you get that one wrong if you are married to a Roman.
I’m the type of person who asks why, and rarely was there a satisfactory answer, other than, “è così.” That’s just how it is. Usually delivered with a look that said, “Do not challenge me.”
One day, I had an ‘aha’ moment while chatting with my colleague Claudia about preparing dinner. I said something to the effect of first deciding which sauce I wanted to make, and then checking my pantry to find the most suitable pasta to accompany it.
Claudia explained that I was going about it incorrectly. The pasta, she explained, will dictate your options for how to dress it. Therefore, first you see what pasta you have in your pantry, and then you decide how to prepare it. Or, if you really must select your condiment first, take whatever steps needed to ensure you have the right pasta to go with it, lest you end up eating a carbonara with bowties or something equally blasphemous.
Over the years—ahem, decades, I’ve become accustomed to these food rules. I’ve also learned that when certain foods make their seasonal appearance, it’s a signal to make specific pairings and recipes. When the first fava beans make their springtime appearance, I grab a wedge of Pecorino to nibble on with them. In summer, a ripe melon calls for good prosciutto. In the fall, we anxiously await the arrival of porcini mushrooms to prepare with homemade fettuccine.
Last weekend, we were at the co-op picking up some dandelion greens for one of our final backyard pizza events of the summer when I spotted a display featuring brown paper bags packed with bunches of small, dark purple Thomcord grapes, a sure sign that fall is arriving. They were calling my name, and I knew it was time to make a schiacciata con l’uva.
Schiacciata
Like pizza bianca in Lazio and focaccia in Liguria and Puglia, schiacciata, pronounced skya-CHA-ta, is Tuscany’s version of a flatbread. Made with simple ingredients — flour, water, yeast, olive oil, and salt — and baked until golden, it’s often eaten plain, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, or used to make a sandwich with cured meats, cheeses, and grilled vegetables.
In autumn, there’s a sweet version made with sweet wine grapes and sugar called schiacciata con l’uva, which celebrates the grape harvest. In Tuscany, Canaiolo grapes are traditionally used, but they are nearly impossible to find in the US, so we use the small, sweet, and seedless Thomcord grapes instead.
They are only around for a couple of weeks, so grab them if you see them and mark the changing of the seasons with a schiacciata con l’uva.
Schiacciata con l'uva
Schiacciata is Tuscany’s version of a flatbread. Schiacciata con l’uva is a dessert version made in autumn with sweet wine grapes and sugar to celebrate the grape harvest.
Ingredients
- 2 grams of active dry yeast
- 375 grams of water, lukewarm
- 500 grams of 00, bread or pizza flour, plus extra for dusting
- 12 grams of salt
- Olive oil
- 1-2 bunches small, sweet, seedless grapes such as Thomcord, Thomas or Concord.
- 80–100 grams sugar
Instructions
- Add the yeast to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the water to the bowl and let it sit until the yeast dissolves, stirring occasionally.
- Add the double-zero flour and the salt.
- Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the flour is incorporated. The dough will be shaggy.
- Coat a new bowl with olive oil and transfer the dough to it.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Stretch and fold the dough in half four times.
- Return the dough to the oiled container and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator or another cool location.
- When 12 hours have passed, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, fold it a few times, and then cut the dough in half.
- Use your hands to shape each piece of dough into a ball, gently stretching and wrapping the dough into a seam on the underside.
- Place each ball of dough into a pizza-proofing box or other container, cover, and allow the dough to rise for about two more hours at room temperature until the balls have doubled in size.
- Use your hands to shape each piece of dough into a ball, gently stretching and wrapping the dough into a seam on the underside.
- Place each ball of dough into a pizza-proofing box or other container, cover, and allow the dough to rise for about two more hours at room temperature until the balls have doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush it with olive oil.
- Sprinkle flour onto a smooth work surface.
- Using your hands, stretch out one piece of dough and place it on the baking sheet.
- Spread half the grapes evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with half the sugar and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Stretch out the second piece of dough and place it on top, gently sealing the edges.
- Press the remaining grapes into the surface, sprinkle with the rest of the sugar, and drizzle again with oil.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the grapes are bubbling.
- Allow to cool completely before serving.
- Store in an airtight container.
Prep the dough
Prepare the schiacciata
Notes
In Tuscany, Canaiolo grapes are traditionally used, but they are nearly impossible to find in the US, so we use the small, sweet, and seedless Thomcord grapes instead.
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