This gluten free focaccia bread recipe is going to knock your socks off! It is not only perfect for dipping into seasoned oil, but it also makes delicious gluten free Italian bread to serve with any meal.
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I have been thinking about this gluten free focaccia recipe quite a bit lately! Maybe obsessing is more accurate. There is something about that slightly chewy bread topped baked with cheese and herbs that I have been missing.
You can add any toppings, veggies, fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, cheese...anything you like! This homemade gluten free focaccia recipe is made to be customized! It is dairy-free too so anyone can enjoy it!
Focaccia is a bread that is popular in Italy. It is most often served with flavored oils to dip the bread into. This gluten free Italian bread is easy to make!
If you are looking for a delicious homemade gluten free focaccia recipe to try, this recipe will not disappoint!
Why you need to try this recipe:
Not only is this fluffy gluten free focaccia easy to make, but it is also very versatile! Many of my readers say this gluten free Italian focaccia recipe makes the best deep dish pizza crust too. If you have craved focaccia, this is the recipe you need to make.
You can make this gf focaccia bread in a skillet as I show in the video instructions, or make it a more traditional style baked on a sheet pan. Both baking methods are so easy!
If you use this as a pizza crust, top it with my homemade gluten free pizza sauce!
Ingredient notes:
- Gluten free flour blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's 1 to 1 GF Blend and Cup4Cup. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours. Cup4Cup performed the best in rising. Bob's rose, but not as much.
- Xanthan gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Dry yeast - you could also use ½ cup gluten free sourdough, but the rise time will need to be a lot longer. Red Star Platinum is NOT gluten free!
- Honey - you can also use sugar to feed the yeast if you don't have honey on-hand.
- Olive oil - I like to use extra virgin olive oil
- Toppings like fresh herbs, caramelized onion, sun-dried tomato, and cheeses like parmesan, asiago.
How to make gluten free focaccia:
First and most important, check the expiration date of your yeast!
Prep the yeast in a glass bowl. Heat the almond milk so that it is lukewarm. Make sure the temperature is no warmer than 110º F. Add yeast, oil, and honey to the almond milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until frothy with bubbles.
Yeast Tip: Be sure you do not heat the milk too hot or it will kill your yeast!
Step 1: Add the gluten free flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and whisk to blend. Add eggs to the yeast liquid mixture and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
To measure your gluten free flour, I recommend using the spoon method or leveling method. In a perfect world, people weigh their flour, but most do not own a kitchen scale. To make a scale even trickier, every gluten free flour blend has a different weight.
Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.
You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 2: Place your dough onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Press into a circle shape. Dust the dough with gluten free flour blend. The dough may be a little bit sticky, but that is okay for the rise.
*If you are using a cast-iron skillet as I did in the video, press the dough into a greased skillet and allow it to rise in the skillet.
Rising Tips:
Getting gluten free dough to rise can be tricky, especially in the colder months. When the kitchen is colder, I like to preheat my oven to 200º F, then turn it off. Cover the rising bowl with plastic wrap and put the bowl into the oven. Keep the door cracked open and allow the dough to rise.
In the summer, I place the covered bowl in a sunny spot next to my kitchen window to rise.
Step 3: After letting your dough rise for an hour, dust it with more flour and press to ¼ to ½ inch thickness oval or rectangle.
This is what your dough should look like. Your dough should have a similar consistency to this dough.
Step 4: Press your finger into the dough to make little dimples. These dimples are really important because they create delicious pockets for the olive oil and toppings and add to the flavor to infuse into the focaccia bread.
Step 5: Brush olive oil combined with your favorite seasonings over the gluten free focaccia dough. See below for some tasty ideas!
*Note, in the cast iron skillet version, I didn't brush the seasoned oil over the dough. In hindsight, I wish I did and I recommend that you do this step!
Step 6: Bake the focaccia at 375º F for 20-25 minutes, depending on how thick you pressed the dough. Remove from the oven and allow cooling before slicing. Slice the focaccia with a serrated knife or pizza cutter.
Topping ideas:
- Add garlic for a gluten free garlic bread focaccia
- You can add your favorite fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme. Herbed focaccia bread is great with a bowl of hot soup! We love baking and cooking recipes with fresh herbs.
- Try sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- Top with some caramelized onions.
- Top with cheese. Here are my favorites: asiago, parmesan, or another hard cheese you like
If you love this recipe with toppings, wait until you try my Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
This gluten free focaccia can be dipped in herb-seasoned oils, pasta sauces, stews, or even used as sandwich bread.
The bread will be firm to the touch and golden in color. You can insert a toothpick into the middle. If the toothpick comes back clean, the focaccia is done baking. If you see crumbs or dough, it needs to bake longer.
You can bake this in any pan or on a sheet pan. An 8x8 square pan also works well.
This focaccia recipe makes the BEST thick crust gluten free pizza EVER! Top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings.
This bread will keep up to 3 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Most yeast is gluten free but please note Red Star Platinum is NOT gluten free!
Yes! You can definitely use a sourdough starter to make this recipe. You will need a longer rise time. If you want to learn more about making a gluten free sourdough starter I have a great tutorial.
My easy focaccia bread recipe has no dairy unless you choose to sprinkle parmesan or another cheese on top of the bread.
You can make this gluten free focaccia bread recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure blend but it will not rise quite as much as another flour blend. King Arthur states on their package not to use their flour with yeast recipes. You can easily use the King Arthur All Purpose Gluten Free Flour with no xanthan gum in this recipe.
This recipe is not vegan because it uses eggs in the batter.
How to store gluten free focaccia bread:
Store this simple gluten free focaccia bread in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. I store it in the refrigerator to prevent it from spoiling.
You can also freeze this recipe. Freeze the bread after it has cooled. You can slice it or freeze it whole in a freezer-safe zip-style baggie.
User reviews:
"It turned out amazing! I didn't add any spices, but I really didn't need to. Yum"
Autumn, Facebook user
I love playing with Sandi's focaccia recipe!!!"
Krystal, Facebook user
More gluten free bread recipes:
- Gluten Free Sourdough Bread
- Easy Gluten Free Panettone Bread
- Gluten Free English Muffins
- Gluten Free Breadsticks
- Soft Gluten Free Dinner Rolls (bake in an air fryer or the oven!)
Recipe
Gluten Free Focaccia Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 2 teaspoons dry yeast
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- ¾ cup non-dairy milk + 2 TBSP
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the Bread
- In a large mixing bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- In a glass bowl, heat the almond milk so that it is lukewarm. (Make sure it is no hotter than 110º F or your yeast may die.)
- Add yeast, oil, and honey to the almond milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add eggs to the liquid and mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix.
- If making in a cast iron skillet: oil a large cast iron skillet and put the dough in. Spread the dough to cover the bottom of the skillet. Cover with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.
- If making this more traditionally, place your dough on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and press into a circle. Cover with plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rest in the pan for 1 hour.
- If you are making this on a cookie sheet. Press the dough down to ¼ to ½ inch thickness. Dust the focaccia with gluten free flour blend. Use your fingers to make dimples in the dough.
- Preheat oven to 375º F.
- In a small dish, add your chosen toppings to the olive oil and mix. Use a basting brush to spread the oil mixture over the dough.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden and crusty. Baking time will vary slightly depending on how much you press your focaccia dough flat.
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with Cup4Cup, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours. Cup4Cup rose the best.
- You can add any toppings you like. Some fun ideas are sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, different cheeses, scallions, etc.
- You will know the focaccia bread is finished baking when you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean. If you see crumbs or dough, it will need to bake a little longer.
- You can bake this bread in a cast-iron skillet, or on a cookie sheet as specified above.
- This bread will keep up to 3 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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*This gluten free focaccia recipe was updated from a post from 2014.
Beth
Sandy
You know I am a huge fan...
I feel a bit silly about this question but I am Irish not Italian.
Is Focaccia a side or like a pizza. How is it best served meal wise?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Beth. This bread is more of a side, often dipped into pasta sauces, etc. Many also just dip into olive oil with herbs. One girl used it as a pizza crust and it seems to have taken off. I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds really good.
Rozelyn DeSagun
Thank you for posting this. I've been looking for a focaccia recipe for months. I can't wait to try this.
Sandi Gaertner
I hope you enjoy it Rozelyn 🙂
Cathy
Hi. The recipe doesn’t say how much baking powder nor does it tell you to put the olive oil in the mix. I saw that in the video. How much baking powder does it need?
Thank you
Cathy
Sandi Gaertner
Great catch Cathy, thank you so much. Add one teaspoon to the dry ingredients. The olive oil will go with the wet ingredients.
Moe
I don't see the Caramelized onions in the recipe? Am I missing something?
Thanks
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Moe, LOL, that is the battle I had with my onion hating kids. You can add any toppings you like to this focaccia bread. When I remade the recipe to take new pictures, my kids begged me to exclude the onion. I will put a note in the post so people know :-).
Carol
Is there a suitable substitute for the eggs? Food allergies are a challenge, for sure!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Carol, I haven't tested this recipe without eggs. If you do try something like aquafaba or another substitute, please let me know how it works. I am sure it would help other egg free readers.