Tuscan
Grape Harvest Sweet Bread
Schiacciata all’Uva
Carol Field “Celebrating Italy” p. 183-184
After
making this bread before (See below
pics & notes)
I decided to try it again using "my
Nonna's method"
and Red Flame Seedless Grapes from Costco
The bread has been taken out of the pan it was baked in. |
 |
| The below picture shows that only some of the
grapes popped . I baked it at "Nonna's" time
and temperature, then added another 9 minutes making it
49 minutes total; the bread was getting too brown to bake
any longer (See lower left side), but I was hoping for
more juice. Basically there was little juice. In the
picture below, it shows the amount of juice, but that's
about all there was, just in one section; and it appears
that there was more juice than there actually was. I didn't cut Carol Field's recipe in half (as I interpreted 'Nonna's'), but used the whole recipe for this bread. It was spread thin and made into two layers. The taste of the bread this time was not distinctive at all compared to the previous bread using one layer. |
 |
| I enjoyed making this bread. I would not make it again using the grapes available to me. I liked the taste of the previously made bread and would like to use it with another fruit. I'm thinking that blackberries (since they are quite juicy) might be a good alternative to grapes. |
Baked
13
September 2004
My
Notes:
Carol Field's recipe said that after 20 minutes to tilt the pan
and baste with the sugary juices.
I used black California grapes without seeds similar in size and
taste to Red Flame Seedless Grapes.
There were no "sugary juices" coming out of the grapes,
because they were not ripe enough to do so. I don't believe I've
ever seen on the market grapes, even in season, juicy enough for
them to emit juices after 20 minutes. The bread was brown and
ready to remove from the oven in 25 minutes. If the grapes were
juicy, I can see by the size of the pan, that I would not have
had room enough for the juice to go into; hence a lot of
spillage.
The bread tasted wonderful. It was easy to follow instructions and to make.
****************
Responsesfrom |
| I think
it's the choice of grape, Dee. I make the Schiacciata
all'Uva all the time...with the Red Flame seedless grapes...and there is plenty of juice for basting. As a matter of fact, when you eat it warm, as you bite into the schiacciata, the juices run down your chin! I couldn't tell from the picture, is that a one or two layer schiacciata? The two layer construction has double the juice...obviously <g . r...... ***** My Nonna made her schiacciata from a piece of her regular bread dough which, if I remember correctly, did not have any sugar in it. And she did not use seedless grape [was there such a thing then?]-- She used what was growing on the arbor in the back yard. Yes, I use half the dough at a time because there are only 2 of us and this is absolutely best when eaten warm. I have used other fruit...most notably, apples that I sauteed first in a little butter, and once, I rolled out a square, spread cherry pie filling over, rolled it up and cut it and baked it like cinnamon buns. Both were good; the grapes are better <G>. r.... |
| The recipe
I use is basically Carol Field's done with a bit of my
Nonna's method. I take half the dough to make one schiacciata and I put the other half in the fridge for tomorrow's dessert...it'll keep 2 to 3 days. I use a regular 9" layer cake pan, divide the dough in half, press out the bottom layer, cover with Red Flame grape, press them into the dough without popping them, and sprinkle with a little sugar. Then stretch out the top layer a little larger than the pan so you can tuck it over the bottom layer of grape and press it to the bottom layer of dough. Add the rest of the grapes to the top, gently pressing them into the dough, sprinkle with sugar...on the top layer, I like to use the kind that does not melt with the baking...and bake. The double layers take longer to bake than the single. I start mine in a 425 degree F oven then lower to 375 after 15 minutes. It takes at least an additional 25 minutes to bake fully. I tilt the pan around to distribute the juices at about the 30 minute mark...I don't think it makes much difference though because I have forgotten to do it and it still comes out just fine. Use plenty of grape. Each layer should be covered. And let the schiacciata rise after assembling. Good luck. Born of poverty, it is a delicious and unusual dessert. L.... |
| Ah, now I get it, you
mean kuchen! Isn't it wonderful the way the same ideas turn up in different cuisines? J.... |
11 x 16 pan
Passionnement & Sans Pepins
Bread
made and Page created September 13, 2004
Page Accessed or Updated
by me October 15, 2004