This rosemary focaccia with red grapes and sea salt is perfect for summer picnics. Bake ahead, then enjoy with a glass of wine and some olives.
Can you believe it’s already June? The weather seems to be teetering between summer and autumn, but that only makes this focaccia all the more welcome. It’s an easy loaf to prepare ahead and takes well to a picnic basket.
If you want just the recipe, you can skip ahead, but I’ll briefly share a few thoughts about the blog and why I love creating these posts. I started blogging around 14 months ago and it’s become a true passion. Lately I’ve been thinking about evolving the blog and exploring other creative directions.
My passion for blogging is made up of several parts, and two of them—photography and styling—have grown to be just as rewarding as the recipes themselves. I love capturing food on camera; a phrase I heard recently, “camera eats first,” really describes my approach. The photography process brings me immense joy, and I find myself falling deeper for it every day.
Food styling is another element I enjoy: choosing props, fabrics, ceramics, backdrops, colours and shapes. It’s a creative puzzle that I love solving. I’m always collecting little treasures for shoots and sometimes joke we’ll need a second house to store everything.
Beyond photography and styling, I’ve been feeling an urge to share more of what I’ve learned—tips, resources and inspiration for other creatives and aspiring bloggers. It’s intimidating to put myself out there because I don’t consider myself a “professional” expert, but I also don’t want that to stop me from trying. If it helps someone start a project or discover a new passion, it will be worth it.
I plan to share more posts about inspiration, resources and practical tips—ideas that have helped me. Below are a few blogs I find inspiring and useful. They’re not all strictly food blogs, but they offer photography, styling and blogging advice worth exploring.
- Adventures in Cooking — beautiful food photography and creative recipes by Eva Kosmas Flores.
- The Little Plantation — Kimberly Espinel shares stunning images and helpful tips on photography and styling.
- Jen Carrington — ideas for online creatives and a podcast full of practical advice and motivation.
- Blog Tutor — technical and practical guidance for getting started with WordPress and running a blog.
- Food Bloggers Central — resources and tips specifically useful for food bloggers starting out.
If you’d like an extended list, sign up below to receive a bonus list of 15 inspiring blogs to keep your ideas flowing.
Now, on to the recipe.
I love bread and this rosemary focaccia is simple to make. The trickiest part can be kneading—use an electric mixer with a hook if you prefer—but working the dough by hand is satisfying too. Keep extra flour on hand to dust your work surface because the dough can be slightly sticky.
Roasted red grapes add a lovely sweet contrast, but they’re optional. The combination of olive oil, rosemary and sea salt is delicious on its own. You can use roasted or fresh grapes depending on the texture and flavor you want. Either way, the focaccia is satisfying and perfect for sharing.
Let me know what you think in the comments. If you try this focaccia, tag me on Instagram — I love seeing your photos and variations.
xo A.
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Rosemary focaccia with red grapes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried active yeast
- 350 ml warm water
- 450 g strong bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 200 g red grapes
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, mix the caster sugar with the dried yeast and warm water. Stir gently and set aside to activate.
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In a large bowl, combine the flour, cumin, fennel seeds and rosemary. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix. Add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. The dough will be sticky; add a little more flour if needed.
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Knead the dough by hand or with a mixer and hook for about 10 minutes until smooth. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into a clean large bowl, transfer the dough, cover with cling film and leave to prove for a couple of hours or until it has doubled in size.
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C. Arrange the grapes on a baking tray lined with parchment, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast for about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
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Remove the cling film and dust your work surface with flour. Stretch the dough to roughly the size of your baking tray, transfer it to the tray, cover with a tea towel and allow to prove for another 30 minutes.
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Gently press the roasted grapes into the dough, scatter rosemary sprigs, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining sea salt. Make small indentations with your fingers or a fork, then bake at 180°C for 25–30 minutes until golden.
Please note that all my recipes are developed and tested using metric measurements. I recommend digital scales for accuracy. Conversions to other units may be provided but are not always tested.