Tomato, Grape, and Ricotta
Flatbread Recipe

This is a fantastic flatbread recipe.

It comes from California cookbook author Romney Steele and is featured in her cookbook Plum Gorgeous: Recipes and Memories from the Orchard.

I love the unusual mix of toppings in this recipe.

Romney combines sweet, juicy grapes with cherry tomatoes and fresh ricotta cheese in this rustic flat bread and all meld together beautifully.

She calls this recipe her "ode to California's Indian summer". It certainly is.

Late summer to early fall is the perfect time of year to make this version of Italian bread because all of the topping ingredients are at their peak, but it can certainly be made any time of the year.

This is what Romney Steele says about her flatbread recipe:

"Smaller, more intensely flavored wine grapes, like Cabernet Franc (the dark purple grapes shown), are particularly sweet and intensely delicious and offer a rich study in contrasts against the medley of yellow, orange, and red tomatoes and greens. Use good-quality, stone-ground bread flour for the best results. If you have a pizza stone, by all means use it to bake this bread."

Try serving this wonderful flatbread recipe at your next party. Friends and family will love it.

Prep time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

For the Dough:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup tepid water, plus more as needed
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Topping:
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound wine grapes, rinsed, halved, and seeded
Leaves from 2 to 3 sprigs rosemary, coarsely chopped
Coarse sea salt
Handful arugula, plus a few leaves for garnish

To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the water in a medium bowl and stir in 1 cup of the flour. Set aside in a warm place for 2 hours, or up to overnight. You are essentially creating a sponge or poolish - this slow rise ultimately results in a more complexly flavored dough.

Combine the remaining 2 cups of flour with the salt and stir into the yeast mixture, along with the olive oil, until well combined. Add up to 1/4 cup more water, if needed, to achieve a dough that comes together easily.

Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes, until the dough feels elastic and smooth. Gather the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, which will take about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment and sprinkle with cornmeal or flour.

Gently punch down the dough. Divide it into 2 or 3 balls. Take one and roll out into a loose rectangle shape, about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a prepared baking sheet.

Dot the dough using your fingers, making small indents in it. Brush the surface liberally with extra virgin olive oil. Spread one-half or one-third of the ricotta on the surface and scatter with tomatoes and grapes. Sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt to taste, and a few leaves of arugula. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bake until the crust is golden and the topping nicely charred, about 25 minutes. Top with more fresh arugula leaves.

Makes 2 or 3 flatbreads.

• Of course Romney's topping for her flat bread is absolutely fantastic. But you can take the dough recipe and top it any way you prefer. You can use traditional Italian type toppings like tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and prosciutto, or use your imagination like Romney did and come up with your own fantastic creation.