No kneading! No mess!
This recipe for authentic Italian gluten-free focaccia bread is so easy! You just need to allow for time, but not much really! 20 minutes to prep, one hour to rise (or more if you have time) and 30 minutes to bake. I like to prepare the dough in the morning, let it rest & rise during the day and bake it just before dinner.
Focaccia and Italy
Focaccia derived its name from the Latin words “panis focacius”. Panis means bread. Focacius means central fireplace. This fireplace was traditionally located in the centre of Roman homes where the focaccia was cooked in the hot ashes.
Pre-gluten-free days, I have great memories of walking around many Italian cities smelling focaccia bread wafting out of the Panettiere bakeries. Sold pre-sliced in satisfying portions, it was tempting to buy one of each with different toppings, but olive & rosemary topping always won me over.
Easy Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 2 tsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 425 g store-bought or homemade gluten-free bread flour blend
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp xanthan gum Optional, as additional binding strength
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 4 tbsp store-bought buttermilk or mix 4 tablespoons of milk with one teaspoon of lemon (allow to rest for 5 minutes before using)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 350 ml warm milk
Foccacia toppings
- Olive oil, for brushing tin and top of focaccia
- 1 garlic clove
- 15 pitted black olives
- 4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp coarse salt, to sprinkle
Instructions
Making the focaccia
- Mix the yeast, honey & warm water in a small bowl.
- Leave in a warm area for 10 minutes until frothy.
- Whisk the gluten-free bread flour, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum & bicarbonate of soda in a medium bowl.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture using a wooden spoon.
- Add the yeast mixture, buttermilk, eggs & warm milk to the centre of the flour mixture.
- Using a wooden spoon, slowly blend the liquid mixture into the flour until a soft, sticky dough has formed.
- Brush a square 23 cm tin liberally with olive oil.
- Add the focaccia mixture to the tin and with floured hands, press the dough towards the sides and corners of the tin.
- Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise for one hour (or more if time permits).
Toppings
- Cut the garlic clove into slivers and add them to some water as well as the whole pitted black olives and snipped fresh rosemary sticks.
- Soak for 30 minutes.
Preparing the focaccia for baking
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F.
- Remove the tea towel, make soft indentations into the top of the focaccia dough with your fingers.
- Brush the top with olive oil.
- Sprinkle the top evenly with the coarse sea salt
- Drain the garlic, black olives and rosemary from the water.
- Push the garlic slivers completely into the dough, so they don’t burn while baking.
- Press the olives and snipped rosemary sprigs into the dough so they are halfway peeking out.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool down slightly in the pan before cutting the focaccia bread into square portions.
- Serve immediately or allow to cool and wrap in foil to heat up later.
Video
Notes
- Keeps for 2 days, but best eaten on the same day as baking
- Suitable to freeze wrapped in foil and stored in an airtight container or freezer bag
Gluten-Free Focaccia Sandwiches
Make these gorgeous focaccia sandwiches using the gluten-free focaccia bread with different fillings toasted or untoasted
Please join my email list to receive a free gluten-free mini baking cookbook, plus regular updates of newly released gluten-free recipes!
Thank you, thank you Sandra! Focaccia (especially sourdough focaccia) is one of those things I really miss from my pre gluten free days. (Well, I don’t really miss it too much because I love missing the migraines now! But you know what I mean). Anyway, this recipe gives me a more tgan satisfactory alternative! 😃😃.
I used kefir instead of buttermilk because that’s what I had and my focaccia is more golden in colour because our pet free range hens have the most incredibly yellow hooked eggs but your recipe really did work for us. Yum! Scrumptious yum! 👏👏👏 blob:null/e13b21a9-d08e-4ddf-825f-768d059511d6
SO happy to hear that your focaccia bread turned out as you like it and what a great idea using kefir, I will have to try that next time I make it. Lucky you have homemade free-range eggs!! I don’t think photos can be added on this comment plugin (will need to find out), but please send me the photo you were trying to post to the email address info@funwithoutgluten.com and I can try to add it for you or post it on FB. Thanks Sophia !!
One of the few recipes from the baking department on the GF internet that has worked for me, definitely a keeper, thank you!
Thank you for your nice comment, Yves! I am very happy to hear that the recipe worked out well for you!