Roasted Almond Focaccia With Grapes And Rosemary

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water. Stir to dissolve. Add 1 cup flour and blend together until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. After the mixture has risen, remove the covering and stir in 3 tablespoons of olive oil, sugar, and chopped rosemary. Add one cup of flour and stir to blend. Add the remaining cup of flour and salt and work together into a shaggy dough.

2. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add up to 1/3 cup more flour and knead. Dough should be slightly sticky.

3. Coat a large bowl with olive oil. Place dough in the bowl, and flip it around so that it’s entirely coated in oil. Cover with plastic wrap again and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

4. While the dough is rising, roast the almonds. Heat oven to 350°. Spread almonds in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until almonds are slightly browned. Coarsely chop once cooled.

5. To bake the bread, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°.

6. Remove dough from bowl and knead for just a minute. Transfer dough to an oiled 16x9 baking sheet. Pull and stretch the dough into a rectangle to fit the pan. Use your fingers to make random indentations in the puffed dough. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Top with grapes, rosemary sprigs, roasted almonds, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and cracked pepper. Bake bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden, crisp and baked through. Rotated the pan once, halfway through baking.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the baking pan, slice into generous squares, and serve warm with extra olive oil.