Fresh Cherry Schiacciata

From issue #6.
Fresh Cherry Schiacciata

This sweet, fruity bread is delicious served with coffee for breakfast and would make a lovely start to Christmas Day. The dough could be made the night before and left to rise overnight in the fridge. It would then need to come back to room temperature before proceeding

Serves: 6 - 8

INGREDIENTS

Dough
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon dried yeast
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
225 mls warm water

Filling
600 grams fresh cherries
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup brown sugar

METHOD

Dough: Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer with either a dough hook or K beater. With the mixer going, gradually add the oil and water and mix on low speed for 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and firm. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place
until doubled in bulk.

Schiacciata: Halve and pit the cherries. Combine the oil and rosemary in a small saucepan and allow to gently warm to infuse the flavours. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200°C - fan bake

Generously brush a 30cm fixed base cake tin or ovenproof pan with the rosemary oil. Divide the dough in half and using your fingers stretch one piece to fit the base of the tin. Brush the dough with more of the oil and sprinkle with a generous amount of brown sugar. Spread half the cherries over the sugar. Roll out the second
piece of dough and place on top, pinching the edges together. Top with the remaining oil, brown sugar and cherries pushing them into the dough with your fingers.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the bread and baste with the caramelised sugar. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes then remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack. This prevents it sticking to the tin as it cools. Serve warm. Serves 6-8