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Made with spicy chili flakes, sweet red grapes, and briny capers, this grape focaccia recipe offers a savory-sweet twist on the traditional Italian olive oil bread.
Why Make This Grape Focaccia Recipe?
Focaccia is a traditional Italian bread known for its olive oil-infused flavor and distinctive dimpled appearance.
I’ve loved making my own focaccia ever since I first learned how to do it during my pastry studies at Le Cordon Bleu. The simple joy of pressing my fingers into the pillowy dough, then dousing it in an endless pool of buttery oil? It’s one of the most satisfying breads to make, and my all-time favorite to eat.
In its most basic form, focaccia dough consists of just flour, water, yeast, and salt, plus lots and lots of olive oil. After allowing the dough to rise, you drizzle it with more oil, add toppings like herbs or cheese, then bake the loaf and coat it in even more oil before slicing and serving.
The best thing about focaccia is that it’s essentially a blank canvas. You can keep things nice and simple (just olive oil and salt) or go with something fairly basic, like my rosemary focaccia recipe. Or, you can get creative. People add all sorts of toppings to focaccia—fruits, nuts, cheeses, vegetables, olives. You can also play around with different kinds of salt, interesting herbs, or specialty olive oils like basil oil, garlic oil, or chili oil.
This nontraditional grape focaccia recipe combines hot chili pepper flakes with the briny bite of capers, plus the unexpected pop of sweet, juicy red grapes. (I know, I know, it sounds kind of weird, but I swear this combination works!) Each bite of bread offers a balance of savory and sweet, plus a tiny kick of heat from the chilis.
This focaccia is delicious alone, as a sandwich vessel, or as an accompaniment to salad or soup.
Ingredients for Making Grape Focaccia Bread
To make the dough, you’ll want to gather a few breadmaking staples: bread flour, olive oil (you’ll need a lot of it, so be sure to choose a large bottle of good-tasting oil), kosher salt, and yeast. I’ve used instant yeast because it’s faster, but feel free to substitute active dry. Just remember to prove the yeast in warm water before mixing it with the other ingredients.
In addition, you’ll need:
- Red grapes – I used 125 grams, or about 20 large grapes.
- Capers – You’ll need about 2 tablespoons of capers (or to taste), drained and dried.
- Chili flakes – Feel free to use your judgement here! You can be as judicious or as generous as you’d like with the chili flakes, depending on your preferred level of heat.
- Sea Salt – You can sprinkle the loaf with coarse or flaked sea salt. Maldon and Halen Mon are two of my personal favorites for topping my focaccia dough.
Grape Focaccia Recipe Tips and Tricks
Use a rimmed tray. You must use a rimmed (not flat!) tray for this recipe, or the oil will leak, creating a smoky disaster in your oven and kitchen. (Trust me, I learned this lesson the hard way!)
Choose a good olive oil. Focaccia relies on olive oil for flavor and texture (it’s called “olive oil bread” for a reason!), so use the best you can find, and make sure it’s an oil that tastes good to you.
Reach for bread flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which gives the focaccia more structure and a chewier texture.
Don’t rush the rise. A slow rise helps the focaccia to develop flavor and texture. It will depend on the temperature and humidity levels in your kitchen, but as a general rule of thumb I usually allow two hours for the first rise, and another hour for the second.
Dimple the dough. Before baking, press your fingers into the dough to create deep dimples. This step gives the focaccia its signature look and creates pockets, into which the olive oil can settle.
Be generous with the oil. After baking, brush the top of the loaf with even more oil. This finishing touch adds flavor, gives the bread a bit of a shine, and keeps the loaf nice and moist.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
This grape focaccia is best enjoyed on the day it is made. Tightly wrap leftovers in foil or plastic wrap, or place in an airtight container, and store at room temperature for up to two days. Do not freeze.
Other focaccia bread recipes you might enjoy:
Rosemary Focaccia Recipe
Apple, Cheddar, and Rosemary Focaccia
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Grape Focaccia Recipe with Chili and Capers
- Total Time: About 4 hours
- Yield: One 10-inch round loaf 1x
Description
A focaccia recipe with chili flakes, red grapes, and capers. A savory-sweet twist on traditional Italian olive oil bread.
Ingredients
Focaccia dough:
290 grams bread flour (2 1/4 cups)
150 milliliters lukewarm water (2/3 cup)
50 milliliters olive oil (1/4 cup)
7 grams kosher salt (2 teaspoons)
6 grams instant yeast (2 teaspoons)
Topping:
125 milliliters olive oil, divided
125 grams red grapes, washed and dried (about 20 large grapes)
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon – 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, or to taste
Coarse or flaked sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment. Set aside.
In a large round bowl, combine flour, lukewarm water, olive oil, salt, and yeast. Use a bench scraper to bring the ingredients together until a soft dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead by hand until soft and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
Form dough into a ball and place in a well-oiled bowl, drizzling the top with even more oil.
Allow bowl to stand in a warm place, covered, for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until dough doubles in size.
Punch dough down.
Place on prepared tray and press into an 8-9-inch circle. Focaccia is supposed to be rustic, so don’t worry about being perfectly precise.
Cover the tray with plastic wrap, and place a towel on top. Allow dough to prove for one hour more.
Preheat oven to 400° F / 205° C.
Peel away the plastic wrap. Brush the dough with a generous amount of oil.
Add the grapes and capers, covering most of the surface. Use your fingers to push the toppings down and create deep dimples in the dough.
Drizzle about half of the remaining oil on top of the bread. Spritz lightly with water, then finish with the chili flakes and a sprinkling of sea salt.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until top and bottom are lightly golden brown.
Remove bread from the oven and pour remaining oil over the top.
Slice with a serrated knife. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Store leftover focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. Focaccia can also be wrapped in foil and frozen, then thawed at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Rise Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
