Sweet seasonal grape-harvest bread (focaccia cousin)
Schiacciata all’Uva (Tuscan Sweet Grape Harvest Bread)
Tuscany’s sweet harvest bread: a lightly sweetened dough packed and scattered with juicy wine grapes and sugar, baked in autumn until jammy, caramelised and fragrant with must.
- Total
- 4.7 hr
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Hydration
- 60%
- Skill
- intermediate
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
Make a lightly sweet ~60% hydration dough (400 g flour, 240 g water, 40 g oil, 30 g sugar, 4 g salt, 6 g yeast), press half into an oiled pan, cover with wine grapes and sugar, add the second dough layer, top with more grapes, oil and sugar, and bake at 190°C/375°F for about 35 minutes until jammy and caramelised.
Why this works
A softer, slightly sweet and oil-enriched dough suits the fruit and stays tender; layering grapes inside and on top means the buried ones melt into jammy pockets while the surface ones roast and caramelise; sugar draws out the grape juice and helps the top brown and set sticky.
The schedule
~40m hands-on of 4.3h total · same day
- Mix & fold · 40m
- Bulk ferment · 2h
- Proof · 45m
- Bake · 35m
- Cool · 20m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Mix the sweet dough
Whisk flour, yeast and the 30 g dough sugar, add water and oil, then salt. Mix and knead to a soft, smooth, slightly enriched dough.
Look for: Soft, supple and a touch glossy from the oil — lightly sweet to taste.
- 2
Bulk ferment
Cover and rise until doubled.
Look for: Puffy and roughly doubled.
- 3
Bottom layer and grapes
Divide the dough in two. Press the first half into an oiled pan. Scatter about half the grapes over it and sprinkle with a third of the topping sugar.
Look for: Grapes sit in a single generous layer across the base dough.
- 4
Top layer
Stretch the second half of dough over the grapes and press the edges to seal loosely. Scatter the remaining grapes on top, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle the rest of the sugar (and rosemary or anise if using).
Look for: A second sheet enclosing the fruit, crowned with more grapes glistening under sugar.
- 5
Short proof
Let the assembled schiacciata rest and puff slightly.
Look for: Just risen and softened at the edges.
- 6
Bake
Bake at 190°C/375°F until the grapes burst and caramelise and the dough is set and golden.
Look for: Grapes collapsed into jammy, glistening pockets; purple juices staining the surface; edges golden.
- 7
Cool before cutting
Let it cool in the pan so the juicy crumb sets, then cut into squares.
Look for: The interior firms from wet to sliceable; sticky, jammy pockets throughout.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Soft, moist and studded with jammy grape pockets; sweet and lightly winey.
- Crust: Golden, sticky and caramelised where the top grapes and sugar roast.
- Height: Medium, with a double dough layer around the fruit.
- Color: Golden dough with darkened, glistening grape patches.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Soggy, wet crumb | Cut too soon, or grapes very juicy | Cool fully before slicing; bake until the base is set and don’t under-bake. |
| Grapes slide off the top | Top sheet too smooth or grapes not pressed in | Nestle the top grapes gently into the dough before proofing. |
| Not sweet enough | Under-ripe grapes | Use fully ripe, sweet grapes in season and adjust the topping sugar to taste. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Keeps 1–2 days at room temperature, loosely covered; the crumb stays moist.
Freezing: Freeze cooled pieces up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature.
Reheating: A brief warm-through in a 170°C/340°F oven revives it; avoid high heat that scorches the sugar.
Contains wheat/gluten. Naturally dairy- and egg-free. Traditional versions use seeded grapes — warn diners about seeds.
Tools & ingredients for this focaccia
Some links are affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Core pantry
- Bread flour (opens Amazon) ↗ — High-protein bread flour or Italian “00” both work.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (opens Amazon) ↗ — Use a good EVOO you like the taste of.
- Sugar (opens Amazon) ↗ — Standard pantry sugar.
- Fine sea salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fine sea salt for the dough.
- Instant yeast (opens Amazon) ↗ — Instant (or active dry) yeast keeps for months.
Fresh — buy local
- Wine grapes (canaiola, or uva fragola / Concord) (opens Amazon) ↗ — A common item; buy fresh or from your pantry.
- Fresh herbs (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fresh is best; a windowsill pot works well.
You don’t need to buy everything here — many items are already in most kitchens. Fresh produce, cheese and herbs are best bought local and in season.
Frequently asked
- What grapes should I use for schiacciata all’uva?
- Traditionally small seeded wine grapes such as canaiola, or the sweet, musky uva fragola (Concord). Seedless table grapes work but are less aromatic.
- Is it a dessert or a bread?
- It sits between the two — a lightly sweet harvest bread eaten as a snack or rustic dessert, made only around the autumn grape harvest.
Keep baking
In these collections
Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/schiacciata-alluva · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.