Focaccia is a fluffy flat baked Italian bread with a golden crust. This delicious gluten and dairy free vegan focaccia recipe is very easy to make. Forget kneading and overcomplicated steps, this bread comes together in a flash and the results are incredible – a perfectly crisp golden top, crunchy olive oil base and tender light and fluffy centre. The most challenging part is waiting an hour for the dough to puff up, that’s as difficult as it gets.
This recipe is for a basic gluten free focaccia but feel free to top it with your favourite ingredients. My favourite combos are rosemary and olive, chorizo and cherry tomato and caramelized balsamic onions with goats cheese. Treat your basic gluten free focaccia like a pizza base and get creative as you like, anything goes here.
Before you bake your first gluten free focaccia from scratch here are a few tips-
- The brand of flour you choose will impact the final result. I made this focaccia with Mulino Caputo Gluten Free Flour. This flour is incredible for bread and pizza because it contains gluten free wheat starch which creates a very gluey stretchy dough. In Sydney you can find this brand at Harris Farm and gourmet grocers. If you live outside Sydney it is best to contact the distributor to find your nearest stockist.
- Ensure your water is lukewarm so the yeast activates properly. If it is too cold the dough won’t rise and if it is too hot you will kill the yeast.
- Grease your baking tray generously with olive oil so you get that signature oily focaccia crust. Once the dough has risen drizzle the top with extra olive oil and a scattering of sea salt flakes before popping it in the oven. The oily golden crust is the best part so please don’t skimp on the oil!
- Unlike regular focaccia dough, this gluten free dough is wet like a cake batter. Use a spatula to transfer the batter into a greased baking tray and spread the batter into the corners of the tray.
- Use the correct baking tray size to help shape the focaccia into a neat rectangle. My tray is 30 x 23cm so use a tray as close to this size as possible to help form the shape.
Follow these simple steps and I guarantee you will be rewarded with the most magnificent gluten free focaccia. Once baked store your bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days. After this freeze any leftover slices for up to a month then just pop them in the toaster for breakfast. Too easy!
- 500g Mulino Caputo Gluten Free Flour
- 1 x 7g dried yeast
- 3 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 450mL warm water
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to garnish, extra salt flakes and olive oil
- Combine flour, yeast and salt in a bowl and mix on low speed to combine.
- Add water and oil and mix to form a wet batter.
- Spoon wet batter into a 30 x 23cm baking tray generously brushed with olive oil. Cover in cling wrap and rest in a warm spot for 1 hour.
- Remove cling wrap. Drizzle dough with extra oil and sprinkle over sea salt flakes.
- Bake focaccia in a 220C fan forced oven for 30 - 35 minutes until golden. Cool slightly before slicing.
Are there any alternative flours that will work? There is no Harris Farm near me…
You could try a different brand but it may not turn out as fluffy, otherwise just contact the distributor for your closest stockist.
I was able to get the flour from Essential Ingredient while visiting Canberra. They said that they can do phone orders 😊
Excellent. Enjoy the gluten free focaccia recipe.
Am in Hob Tas havr made this foccacia using ‘Orgran GF Bread Flour’ many time – never fails. Good luck with it.
this is fantastic thanks – love your book too – your my dietary saviour
Glad you loved the gluten free focaccia recipe Anna.
If I wanted to double the size of the focaccia can I double all the ingredients including the yeast?
Yes no problem.
Simple and easy recipe. Made some tonight. I did a “garden” topping with vegetables. It was the best gluten free anything that i have ever had. Great recommendation on the flour! I can’t wait to try and make pizza with it.
Glad you loved the gluten free foccaccia recipe Jennifer, your garden toppings sound great.
How much is 500 g in cups? I googled and saw that it was 4 cups but because everyone measures a little different is it best to weigh the flour.
Also what temperature F would you recommend for a convection oven. I think the conversion from 220 C is 428 F but when using convection …..do you subtract 25 percent of baking temperature and time?
Hi Maria,
Yes depending on the brand of flour 500g roughly equates to 4 cups. If you are converting fan forced temperatures to conventional increase by 20C you do not need to change the cooking time.
Hi Helen, will this recipe freeze ok? I think I will try making pizza mini loaves for the kids to take to school, and I’m hoping to put them in the freezer to make the mornings quicker. Thank you.
Hannah this bread is best fresh. If you freeze it I suggest toasting it after freezing.
Hi Helen, this bread is fantastic and I am making it regularly as my go to gf bread, thank you for sharing. One question I have though is what would you suggest I add to increase the fibre content?
So glad you love the gluten free focaccia recipe Trish. If you want to boost the fibre content you could either sprinkle high fibre seeds on top like flaxseed and chia or you could add a few tablespoons of psyllium husk. If you add the husk I would add some more water to compensate so the dough is not too dense.
This wonderful, no fail, perfect foccacia is now my fav go to bunch time bread. Totally easy for novicrs bakers (like me) freezes so well for days. I just cut in qtrs/ 6ths, use what i want, wrap in paper & container, then when ready to use have some on hand to just defrost/rewarm in oven & top w/labneh & marinated grilled veg or herb mushrooms or whatever. Also just loving your sbs show Loving Gluten Thank you Helen for the many creative ideas, amazingly simple & tasty gf recipes
Fantastic Ruby, glad you enjoyed the show.
Hi! Is the dough suppose to rise? I don’t see any difference after an hour.
Dough is definitely supposed to rise. Check your yeast has not expired, otherwise your water may have been too hot or too cold. Water needs to be lukewarm or it will kill the yeast.
Can you slow rise the dough in the fridge for this recipe?
It should work. I have never risen the dough overnight in the fridge but I’m assuming it will be okay.
Hi Helen
Sorry wrong email address enter prior.
Can you use this with cassava flour?
No you need to use the Italian gluten free bread flour to get the correct result.