Ingredients for a 26 cm diameter round tin: For the focaccia dough:250 g plain Flour16 g fresh brewer’s yeast2 tsp sugar salt150 ml approx. lukewarm water For the filling:
4 yellow peaches (medium sized) 1 (small) tsp ground cinnamon60 g butter4 tbsp Zanzarato I.G.T. (or another sweet sparkling wine) ½ vanilla pod50 g sugar For the garnish:
1 handful chopped hazelnuts5-6 mint leaves
First prepare the focaccia dough: mix the flour, sugar and salt together in a bowl. Add the yeast dissolved in the lukewarm water and mix everything together, first with a fork and then with your hands. When the dough has reached a good consistency, transfer it onto your work surface – dusted with a handful of flour – and continue kneading until you have a compact, soft ball of dough. Cover with a cotton cloth and leave to rise for about an hour. In the meanwhile, peel the peaches, cut them in half and remove the stones. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, lightly caramelise the sugar. Turn off the heat, add the butter and vanilla seeds (scraped out of the pod cut open lengthwise with the tip of a knife), stir and allow the butter to melt. Put the frying pan back over the heat and add the peaches, cinnamon and Zanzarato. Cook over a lively heat for 5 minutes or a little longer, depending on the consistency of the peaches; “baste” them from time to time with the liquid that has formed in the pan. When they are soft, transfer the peaches into the cake tin with their cooking juices. Now roll the risen dough out on your work surface, using a little flour so that it doesn’t stick; try to give it a round shape, more or less the same diameter as the tin. Carefully lay the dough on top of the fruit and press it down well with your fingers, also between the peaches and around the edge of the cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven, at 200 °C, for about 20-25 minutes. When it’s cooked, take the focaccia out of the oven and leave to rest for 10-15 minutes. Run the blade of a knife around the edge to detach the dough from the tin, then place a plate on top of it, turn it over “et voilà”... your focaccia is ready! Garnish it with the chopped hazelnuts and a few mint leaves here and there.
This recipe is a variation of the famous, classic tarte tatin, which is made with apples.