The Best Gluten Free Focaccia Bread Recipe

This gluten-free focaccia recipe is about to become your new favorite. With its golden brown crust and soft, airy interior, this Italian bread is a classic for a reason! It uses simple ingredients like gluten free bread flour, yeast, olive oil and rosemary to create a perfect side dish for a fresh salad or a plate of gluten-free pasta. It’s also fantastic as sandwich bread, making it an easy and delicious option for lunch! 

If you’re new to gluten-free bread baking, this simple gluten-free focaccia recipe is the perfect starting point. Gluten-free baking can be challenging, especially when it comes to bread, as traditional bread-baking techniques don’t always work. This recipe simplifies the process, making it easy to achieve delicious results! It is also dairy free and can be made vegan friendly.

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Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread Recipe

• Simple and Foolproof: This gluten-free focaccia recipe is incredibly easy to make, yet delivers amazing results with minimal effort.
• Pantry-Friendly: Made with everyday pantry staples, this recipe is convenient and budget-friendly. Add fresh ingredients for toppings to elevate it even further.
• Fully Customizable: The suggested toppings are just a starting point—feel free to get creative and tailor the flavors to suit your taste!

What Equipment is Needed for this Recipe

• Stand Mixer: A stand mixer, preferably with a  paddle attachment or dough hook, is highly recommended for this gluten-free focaccia recipe. It efficiently combines the ingredients, ensuring the dough reaches the perfect consistency without the need for heavy hand mixing.
• Cast Iron Skillet or 8×8 Baking Dish: A cast iron skillet is perfect for baking focaccia, as it helps create a crisp, golden crust while maintaining even heat.
  • If you don’t have a skillet, an 8×8-inch baking dish will work just as well, providing a slightly thicker focaccia. Both options allow the dough to spread out easily and cook evenly for a beautiful result.
• Parchment Paper: Parchment paper is essential for this recipe, especially during the shaping process. It prevents the dough from sticking to your hands or the pan, making it easier to shape and transfer. Additionally, parchment paper ensures that your focaccia won’t stick to the baking dish, making cleanup a breeze.
• Food Scale: A scale provides accurate, professional results every time and simplifies scaling recipes up or down. (Optional but helpful)
• Food Thermometer: Helpful to check water temperature and to check doneness of the flatbread as the bread should read 210 degrees F. (Optional but helpful)

Ingredients for a Perfect Gluten Free Focaccia Bread

• Gluten Free Bread Flour: I recommend King Arthur’s Bread flour for this recipe.
  • If not available, I prefer their Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour Blend.
• Warm Filtered Water: Warm water is essential for activating the yeast. Heat it to around 115-125°F, which is similar to the temperature of a warm baby bath.
  • You can warm it up in the microwave or on the stove, but make sure it’s not too hot, as this could kill the yeast.
• Yeast: Use instant yeast or rapid-rise yeast for this recipe. These types of yeast don’t require proofing and work quickly, ensuring a good rise in your dough.
• Sugar: Sugar helps to bloom the yeast and kickstart the fermentation process. If you’re looking for a vegan option, you can easily substitute honey or agave syrup for the sugar.
• Baking Powder: For a good rise and light texture, make sure your baking powder is fresh. Old baking powder can lose its potency and affect the dough’s rise.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil gives the focaccia its signature crisp exterior and adds a delicious, authentic Italian flavor.
• Salt: Salt enhances the flavors in your dough. I use sea salt in the dough for a subtle taste and top the focaccia with Maldon Sea Salt for a lovely salty crunch and extra flavor.

Step by Step Photos

Instructions for How to Make this Homemade GF Focaccia Recipe

This is a simple overview of the recipe. Follow the Recipe Card at the bottom of the post for full instructions.

Bloom the Yeast:

1. Warm the Water: Use the microwave or stovetop to heat the water to about 115-125°F, which should feel warm to the touch but not hot.
2. Add Sugar or Honey: Stir the sugar or honey into the warm water until fully dissolved.
3. Bloom the Yeast: Sprinkle the instant dried yeast into the sweetened water, then set aside for 3-5 minutes to activate the yeast.

Mix the Dough:

1. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the gluten-free bread flour, baking powder, and sea salt.
2. Mix the Dough: Add the bloomed yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix for 1 minute. Then, add the olive oil and vinegar, and continue mixing on medium speed with a dough hook or paddle attachment for 5 minutes until smooth and well combined.
3. Prepare Your Skillet or Baking Dish: Press the parchment paper into the shape and size of your skillet or baking dish, ensuring it covers the bottom and sides for easy removal after baking.
4. Pre-shaping the parchment paper helps maintain air and rise in the gluten-free dough, as it lacks gluten to provide structure and bounce back.

Shape the Dough:

1. Place the gluten free focaccia bread dough into the pre-shaped parchment paper and cold skillet.
2. How to Shape: Gently press down with your hands to push the gluten free dough to fit the shape of the skillet or baking pan.
3. Remove the Dough: Once you have pushed and stretched the dough to fit the entire skillet or pan, carefully slide out the parchment paper and gluten free focaccia dough onto the counter.
4. Cover to Rise: Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and place in a warm place for 30 minutes for the dough to rise. 
5. Preheat Oven: After 30 minutes, place the cast iron skill into the oven and turn it on to 400 degrees F. And then start topping the GF focaccia dough. (If using a glass or metal baking pan, see notes.)
6. Dimple the Dough: Gently, dimple the dough by pushing down with your fingertips just till the dough gives shape. Do not push down fully like you would with a traditional focaccia bread dough.
7. Add Toppings: Drizzle the top of the dough with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with your choice of toppings.
   • Kosher salt, coarse salt, Maldon Sea salt, fresh rosemary, garlic powder, or Italian seasonings are all some of my favorite options!

Prepare for Baking:

1. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven onto a hot pad, pick up the parchment paper and focaccia dough, and place it back into the skillet or prepared pan
2. Be careful as some of the EVOO may spill onto the hot skillet as you place it in the pan. 
3. Bake: Place the skillet into the hot oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 210 degrees F with a digital thermometer.
4. Let cool for 10-15 minutes as this helps set the crumb, and not be gummy.

Tips and Variations

This gluten-free focaccia bread recipe is naturally dairy-free and egg-free as written. For a vegan option, simply substitute the sugar used to bloom the yeast with agave syrup.

Here are three highly-rated focaccia topping combinations that bring out the best in this versatile bread:

1. Garlic Herb and Sea Salt Topping

A classic option that enhances focaccia’s natural flavors.
Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves (or thyme)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions:

• Mix the olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl and let it sit for a few minutes.
• Brush the infused oil generously over the dough.
• Sprinkle fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt on top before dimpling the dough.
• Bake as directed.

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2. Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Glaze

A sweet-savory combo perfect for appetizers.
Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Instructions:

• Sauté the onion in olive oil over medium heat until golden and caramelized (about 20 minutes). Add sugar if needed.
• Spread the onions evenly over the dough.
• Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with fresh thyme.
• Bake as directed.

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3. Cherry Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella

A colorful and fresh Mediterranean-inspired topping.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella balls or shredded mozzarella
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Fresh basil leaves (added after baking)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

• Toss cherry tomatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Press them gently into the dough, cut side up.
• Add mozzarella balls or sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top.
• Bake as directed, and garnish with fresh basil leaves once out of the oven.

FAQ

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