Basic Gluten Free Focaccia
My focaccia recipe contains a blend of different gluten free flours along with the essential xanthan gum to create a bread that is full of big bubbles and has a chew reminiscent of a regular focaccia. My secret is a dough that is more like a batter, this allows the yeast to form big bubbles and air pockets like a regular focaccia.
Ingredients
- 150g All purpose flour
- 50g Buckwheat flour
- 20g Sorghum flour
- 20g Cornflour
- 1tsp Xanthan gum
- Pinch of s alt
- 2tbsp Oil (for the dough)
- 150ml Warm water
- 150ml Warm milk
- 1tsp Honey
- 1.5tsp Instant yeast
Test out different toppings. You could even infuse the oil with garlic and chilli to give your focaccia another flavour dimension!
Dimpling your dough may be difficult as it is quite a sticky dough. Oil your fingers before you start dimpling and dimple slowly and lightly, this will help prevent the dough sticking to your fingers.
Method
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
- Measure out the water and milk into a measuring jug and heat in the microwave until the liquid is warm (but not hot! Hot liquid will kill the yeast meaning that your bread will not rise).
- Mix the honey and yeast into the jug and let sit for 5-10 minutes. If by this time the yeast appears foamy then it is active, and you can mix it into the dry ingredients along with the oil. Don’t worry if your dough seems more like a batter, this is normal.
- Cover your bowl with a tea towel or clingfilm and let rise for 1.5-2 hours or until doubled in size. The rising time really depends upon the temperature of your room.
- Line a 12-inch rectangular baking pan with parchment and cover the bottom of the lined pan with olive oil. If you prefer a thicker focaccia, use an 8-inch pan and bake for 5-10 minutes longer. Pour your mixture into the pan, pushing it as far to the corners and sides as possible, and let prove for half an hour. Don’t worry if it doesn’t quite reach the sides and the corners, as it is such a wet dough it will spread as it proves.
- Using your fingers dimple your focaccia dough, to create little pockets where the oil can collect. Add your toppings, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with flaky salt and bake for 20-25 minutes at 200°C.
About This Recipe
This recipe makes gluten free focaccia bread that tastes just like the real thing! It is such a simple recipe that requires no kneading just a bit of mixing. Using a dough that has a really high hydration allows the yeast to bubble up very easily creating big bubbly air pockets and light bread with a slight chew.
When it comes to the ingredients, you can really use any oil, dried herbs, and dried garlic if you are in a real pinch. However, to make the best tasting focaccia I really recommend using a good quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, and fresh garlic along with a nice flaky finishing salt.
I recommend serving this focaccia with Italian stews, hearty soups, as a sandwich, or just by itself with some aged balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dipping!
FAQs
Question: Its cold where I live, how do I encourage my bread to rise?
- There are a couple options – One option is to prove your dough in an air room cupboard (The cupboard where your boiler is). This cupboard is usually warmer than the rest of the house because it contains the boiler. The second option is my favourite and can actually shorten the time needed for proving quite significantly. What you should do is fill a baking dish with boiling water and place it at the bottom of your oven, place your dough a couple shelves above and close the oven. Make sure you do not turn the oven on as this will kill your yeast.
Question: How do I know if my yeast is dead?
- If you mix your yeast into your warm liquid along with some sugar and it doesn’t bubble and foam in around 10 minutes, it is likely dead and will not rise your bread.
Question: Is my focaccia dough meant to be so sticky?
- For this recipe, yes! Don’t worry about this, a highly hydrated dough is perfect for focaccia!
If you have any more questions feel free to email me them at loveglutenfree.kitchen@outlook.com
Love Gluten Free
Hey! I’m Caroline, I love baking and cooking and finding new ingredients to create better gluten free alternatives. In 2015 I found out I had coeliac and since then it has been my mission to find great ways to make gluten free food better.
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Love Gluten Free 