Red Grape and Gorgonzola Flatbread

This is my version of an Italian bread called Sciacciata con Uva. The bread is usually made with grapes leftover from the harvest in the late fall. If you have a favorite flatbread or pizza dough recipe, by all means use it! If you're using a pizza stone for baking, sprinkle with cornmeal before placing the flatbread in the oven.

Olive oil

1    bag of fresh pre-made pizza dough or 1 can of refrigerated pizza dough

1    tablespoon fennel seed or chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

2    cups raisins hydrated in sweet wine such as Vin Santo, Passito, or Marsala or 2 cups seedless red grapes, sliced or a combination of both

¾  to 1 lb. Italian-style sausage

½ to 3/4   cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Place pizza dough in a medium-size bowl and lightly coat with olive oil.
Preheat oven to 425 ° F.  Let dough come to room temperature—about 30 to 45 minutes.
Hydrate raisins in bowl with small amount of sweet wine or brandy. (Cover with plastic wrap and zap in microwave for 1 minute.) Set aside.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove casings from sausage and crumble into skillet. Saute sausage until cooked through and brown. Drain well on a paper towel.

Lightly coat a 12 X 17-inch rimmed baking pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Gently press pizza dough into baking pan, covering entire surface. Sprinkle pizza dough evenly with fennel seed or rosemary, then raisins and/or grapes, and finally the Italian sausage.

Place flatbread in oven and bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with gorgonzola. Bake another 5-7 minutes or until flatbread is golden brown.

Slice into 18 3-inch squares. Serve warm.