Cherry Focaccia

I made a variation on a recipe from the River Cafe Cookbook Green for this lovely cherry focaccia which strikes me as a perfect picnic food, especially now cherries are in season at the market! I used a whole grain flour which gave it a dense nuttiness but I think in this instance it probably would work better with the intended unbleached all purpose flour. Try it yourself and let me know.

Add 1 t dried yeast to a bowl and pour in 1-1/2 cups warm water.
Let rest for 5 minutes. Gradually add in 4 cups all purpose flour.
The dough will be soft. Slowly incorporate 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt.
Knead on a floured work surface for about 5 minutes. Return to bowl, cover with a cloth for an hour to let it rise.

Pit 2lbs of cherries.

When the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly oiled pizza pan. Sprinkle the cherries over the dough and let it rise, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes.

Preheat the over to 350.

Sprinkle a 1/4c (or more to taste) of sugar over the Cherries and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until brown.