Baking a naturally gluten-free focaccia bread is not an easy thing, I can’t tell you. Italian focaccia is one of my favorite things in the world. After going gluten free, I missed so much that little slice of heaven I used to have as breakfast, lunch, and sometimes also midnight snack. It took me almost 3 years of attempts to get the right texture that remains soft, oily and tasty for two or three days (but will definitely ends before)

Focaccia is a type of Italian bread that is known for its distinctive flat and dimpled shape. It has gained popularity worldwide. Focaccia is similar to pizza dough in terms of ingredients and preparation, but it is typically thicker and softer.

Traditionally, focaccia is made from a simple dough consisting of flour, water, yeast, salt, and olive oil. The dough is kneaded and then left to rise, allowing it to develop a light and airy texture. Before baking, the dough is flattened onto a baking sheet or a shallow pan, creating a rectangular or round shape. The surface of the dough is then dimpled with fingertips, creating small pockets.

Is focaccia bread gluten-free?

While most (if not 100%) of the focaccia bread available in stores contains a high amount of gluten, it is possible to make gluten-free focaccia by using alternative flours and ingredients that are free from gluten. While the traditional focaccia recipe calls for wheat flour, there are gluten-free flours available that can be used as substitutes.

Gluten-free focaccia can be made using a combination of gluten-free flours such as rice flour, tapioca flour, almond flour, or a gluten-free flour blend. These flours can be used in place of wheat flour in similar proportions.

To ensure the dough has the right texture and rise, gluten-free baking often requires the addition of binding agents such as xanthan gum or psyllium husk powder. These ingredients help provide structure to the dough and compensate for the absence of gluten.

The process of making gluten-free focaccia is generally similar to that of traditional focaccia, involving mixing the ingredients, allowing the dough to rise, shaping it, and adding toppings before baking.

It’s important to note that when making gluten-free focaccia, the texture and taste may differ slightly from traditional wheat-based focaccia. However, with the right combination of gluten-free flours and flavorsome toppings, it is still possible to achieve a delicious and satisfying gluten-free version of this Italian bread.

What ingredients are in gluten-free focaccia?

In this gums-free and vegan recipe of gluten-free focaccia, we will use:

• White rice flour
• Chickpea flour
• Corn starch

You can replace chickpea flour with soy or lentils flour. Likewise, corn starch can be sub with potato starch or rice starch.

The recipe is both gluten-free and dairy-free, as well as vegan and egg-free.

Gluten free Italian focaccia bread

5 from 2 votes

Course: SnacksCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Resting Time

4

minutes

Ingredients

• 200 gr 200 / 1,5 cup white rice flour

• 100 gr 100 / 3/4 cup chickpeas flour

• 100 gr 100 / 3/4 cup corn starch

• 1,5 tbsp 1,5 / 10 g psyllium husks

• 5 gr 5 / half a tsp dry yeast

• 400 ml 400 of warm water

• 20 ml 20 extra virgin olive oil

• fresh or dry rosemary

• salt

How to

• Melt the yeast in warm water and let it rest aside.
  
• Mix the flours in a large bowl with 5 grams (half a tsp) of salt and psyllium husk.
  
• Add all the water and whisk well to get a smooth dough. It will be quite liquid and that’s right!
  
• Let the dough rest in its bowl for 3 hours at a warm temperature, around 30°C/90°F.
  
• After this first rising, transfer the dough in a 33 x 23 cm pan covered in parchment paper slightly oiled. Leave it here for 1 hour at warm temperature.
• Preheat the oven at 220°C / 430°F.
• Once the focaccia has doubled in size, prepare a mix in a little bowl with 20 ml of extra virgin olive oil, 20 ml of water and 5 grams of salt.
• Grease your fingers with some of the oily mix and punch several little holes in your focaccia dough. Then pour the remaining oil imixture n the holes. Add extra salt on top if you like it salty.
• Sparkle rosemary on top and bake at 220°C / 430°F for 30 minutes.

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Focaccia is a real pillar of Italian street food. It changes so much from North to South. It can be thin and crusty, or tall and soft. This recipe in particular is the Italian flatbread focaccia you can find in every bakery.

It’s often filled with Italian prosciutto or mozzarella and tomatoes. With this basic gluten free and vegan recipe you can have fun and come up with your own version. I strongly suggest to top it with cherry tomatoes and olives, like they use to do in Southern Italy. Using only naturally gluten free flours, no commercial mix nor gum in the ingredients, this focaccia recipe will be a no brainer for all your weekend baking projects.

Make sure to check out my gluten-free pizza crust recipe, too: the perfect chewy and crispy recipe for a real Italian pizza.

And to remain updated on my latest experiments and tests, follow me on my Instagram page!