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The Best Gluten-Free Focaccia (Vegan)

 This Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread has the perfect focaccia texture! You would never suspect that it is gluten-free. Naturally vegan and xanthan gum-free!

square slices of gluten free focaccia resting on a dark wood cutting board


Here’s a recipe I worked on for nearly a year! I went through much trial and error to finally achieve the texture and flavors I was after in a gluten-free focaccia bread and I’m thrilled to finally be sharing this recipe with you! I so hope you love it as much as we do!

a close top view of the texture on top of freshly baked focaccia bread

📖 Features

  • Super simple ingredients and method. Very easy to make!
  • Reminiscent of conventional gluten-filled focaccia bread.
  • Packed with beautiful flavors and textures.
  • Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan.
a hand holding a slice of gluten free vegan focaccia bread displaying the interior texture

🥖 Ingredient Notes (+ 1 Secret Ingredient!)

Gluten-free flour: The trick to this perfect focaccia is using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend without xanthan gum. I tested many different store-bought and homemade blends and while I was able to create some tasty breads, none of the tests using blends with xanthan gum came even close to the texture you would come to expect from a true focaccia. I’ll share some of my favorite flour blends in the recipe card toward the bottom of the post!

Yeast + sweetener: This is mandatory for a nicely risen focaccia dough This adds a little extra lift and browning power.

Salt + Rosemary: This simple combo adds a lot of flavor!

For a full ingredients list and instructions, refer to the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

golden slices of gluten free focaccia lit by the afternoon sun

🥣 How-to Make

Step 1: Combine water, yeast and sweetener. Let sit to ‘bloom’ for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Add flour, salt, baking powder and oil. Mix well.

Step 3: Cover and let rise until doubled in size.

Step 4: Pour into prepared baking pan. Let rise for 30 minutes longer.

Step 5: Make holes in the dough, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with rosemary, and bake.

Step 6: Enjoy!

💭 FAQ and Top Tips

Use the Right Flour Blend

In case you missed it further up in the post or in the recipe card, you must use a gluten-free flour blend without xanthan gum for best results. I tested with xanthan gum numerous times and while I was able to create tasty bread, it did not produce the lovely texture you would come to expect from focaccia. I recommend some of my favorite store-bought blends as well as a DIY blend in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Yeast

Letting the yeast/water/sweetener mixture sit for 5 minutes and get foamy is indicative of the yeast being healthy and active. If your yeast mixture does not begin to bubble or get foamy, then you may want to start again with a newly purchased batch of yeast to ensure your dough rises as intended.

Let it Rise

Rising times can vary due to brands used, altitude, temperature, etc. Just make sure it doubles in size during both rising times, regardless of how long it takes. Patience serves you well here! If it does not rise for some reason, you either used a blend with xanthan gum (which is not advised!), you did not wait long enough for it to rise, or the ambient temperature is not warm enough (move to a warmer location), or your yeast is mostly like old or inactive for some reason and you should start again with new yeast.

Toppings

Simple dried rosemary, olive oil, and flaked salt make for a divine combo, but you can certainly top your focaccia off however you would prefer! Some other ideas:

  • Sliced onions.
  • Sliced cherry tomatoes.
  • Fresh or dried thyme.
  • Fresh or dried basil.
  • Fresh or dried oregano.
  • Sliced olives.
  • Roasted red peppers.
  • Sun-dried tomatoes.

How do I store and reheat this Gluten-Free Focaccia?

This focaccia tastes best fresh from the oven but it does keep well lightly covered at room temperature for up to about 24 hours. Otherwise, I recommend freezing it over refrigerating it, if storing. To freeze, store in freezer-safe containers for up to one month. To reheat, whether kept at room temperature or in the freezer, place the bread into a 400F oven and heat until crisp and warm throughout.

a loaf of freshly baked gluten free vegan focaccia bread resting on a dark wooden cutting board

🧂 How-to Serve

This is the kind of bread that doesn’t need anything else but itself! It is that delightful. But if you’re looking for ways to mix it up a little, here are some great ways to enjoy this bread:

  • Dipped into olive oil with or without dried herbs.
  • Slathered with a healthy dose of butter or ghee.
  • Dipped into marinara sauce.
  • Topped off like a pizza and reheated until toppings are melted.
  • Dipped into soup.
  • Sliced and used as sandwich bread.
a slice of gluten free focaccia resting on top of the loaf of gf focaccia bread topped with rosemary and olive oil



Gluten-Free Focaccia

This Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread has the perfect focaccia texture! You would never suspect that it is gluten-free. Naturally vegan and xanthan gum-free!


Course: Appetizers, Savory Baked, Sides
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time:15minutes 
Cook Time:17minutes 
Rising Time:1hour  30minutes 
Total Time:1hour  57minutes 


Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or any granulated or liquid sweetener of choice
  • 1 ½ cups warm water
  • 3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend without xanthan gum
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt or pink salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for topping and pan
  • 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary optional, for topping
  • coarse or flaked sea salt optional, for topping

    • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
    • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or any granulated or liquid sweetener of choice
    • 354.88 g warm water
    • 709.76 g gluten-free all-purpose flour blend without xanthan gum
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt or pink salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for topping and pan
    • 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary optional, for topping
    • coarse or flaked sea salt optional, for topping

    Instructions

    • In a mixing bowl combine yeast, sweetener, and warm water. Whisk well and let sit for 5 minutes or until appearing foamy.
    • To the same bowl add flour, salt, baking powder, and oil. Mix well. Cover with a damp cloth and let sit in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size (it will be a rather wet batter, do not fret!).
    • Grease a 9"x13" pan and line with parchment paper (greasing helps the paper stick and hold shape).
    • Pour the risen batter into the center of the pan. Cover and let sit to rise for 30 minutes longer, or until the entire pan has filled with batter (see how-to photos in post for reference).
    • Preheat the oven to 450°F. Press a wet finger into the batter to make small indents throughout. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with dried rosemary (if using). Bake for 17 minutes, or until the bread is firm and golden brown.
    • Let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Optionally, sprinkle with a little coarse or flaked sea salt before serving. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Please note: The metric conversions in this recipe card are not calculated by me but by the converter built into the recipe card itself. They may or may not be accurate. This recipe was developed using cups, not grams and that will yield the most accurate results.
    The secret to this focaccia bread is using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend without xanthan gum. If you use one, you will likely end up with dense and gummy bread, so I do not advise it. I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour and King Arthur Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour.
    If you want to make your own gluten-free flour blend for this recipe, I recommend using one part tapioca or potato starch and one part sorghum or brown rice flour.
    If you are not a fan of rosemary, you can use any dried or fresh herbs of your choice for the topping.
    This is a rather loose and wet batter, it is not something you can knead, do not worry..it will turn out beautifully so long as you follow the steps outlined here in the post and recipe card.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2square slices | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg



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