About This Recipe
What is Focaccia?
Focaccia is an Italian, oven-baked flatbread. It is a popular and versatile bread, known for its soft and chewy texture. It is often flavored with olive oil, salt, and herbs; though, it can be topped with anything the heart desires.
What I love about this recipe:
My gluten-free friend tried this focaccia and had to check with me to make sure it was safe for her to eat. She said it tasted so close to real bread – it was an absolute delight! This gluten-free focaccia really does taste great, and, thanks to its neutral ingredients, has a very light flavor, reminiscent of real bread. Adding the focaccia toppings only adds to the “oo” and “ah” factor of this bread, making it a savory delight.
Why this recipe works
Flour + Starch
I chose the combination of brown rice flour and potato starch for their neutral flavor profiles. These two ingredients work together to create a dough that rises well, has a light and airy texture (despite the absence of gluten), retains moisture, and holds together nicely.
Psyllium husk
Psyllium husk acts as a binder for this dough, holding it together and creating elasticity as it rises and expands. Without psyllium husk, the dough would not be able to hold its shape. This key ingredient also prevents the dough from becoming crumbly and falling apart.
Soudough starter
In this recipe, I choose to use a generous amount of starter. Since the dough only needs one rise (shaping happens in the beginning) this factor reduces the wait-factor on this loaf.
Technique
First, the psyllium husk is allowed to form a gel in combination with the water. This will hold the mixture together and allow the dough to easily be shaped. The remaining ingredients are then added, and the dough is formed into the desired shape (in this case, focaccia). Last, the dough is left to rise before being dimpled, topped with any toppings of choice, and baked. Since this is a gluten-free bread, there is an absence of gluten development in the process. The ingredients work for the baker to create a beautiful outcome in the final loaf.
Suggested Baking Timeline
10 AM
+Whisk the psyllium husk and water
10:10 AM
+Add remaining ingredients to form a dough
+Shape the dough
4-4:30 PM
+Bake and enjoy!
Gluten-Free Focaccia
Course: Lunch, Dinner, Snack, SideCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Beginner20
minutes6
hours40
minutes1
loafFocaccia is an Italian, oven-baked flatbread. It is a popular and versatile bread, known for its soft and chewy texture. It is often flavored with olive oil, salt, and herbs; though, it can be topped with anything the heart desires.
Ingredients
20 g whole psyllium husk
450 g filtered water
225 g GF sourdough starter (I use white rice)
215 g brown rice flour
120 g potato starch
10-12 g salt
Directions
Whisk together the psyllium husk and the water. Let it sit for five minutes, until it thickens.
Add the GF sourdough starter; whisk to incorporate.
Next, add the dry ingredients. Mix everything well to form a dough.
Transfer the dough to an 8-inch springform cake pan or a 9-inch square casserole dish, shaping the dough so the top is smooth and flat and the dough embraces the contours of the pan.
Cover and let the dough rest for 5-6 hours. It will not double, but will become puffy and should increase in size by about ½ inch.
Preheat your oven to 425 F.
Top the dough with olive oil + your favorite toppings.
Dimple the dough with your fingertips, then bake for 40 minutes.
Let the focaccia cool completely for at least thirty on a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
How to store: This bread is best enjoyed fresh and may or may not store well, depending on the toppings. Sea salt will dissolve if any moisture makes it into the container it is being stored in, and certain toppings will not keep on the counter. Use discernment when choosing how to store your focaccia. Store on the counter, in the fridge, or sliced and in the freezer, depending.
To reheat: Toast 2-3 minutes from room temperature, or 4-5 minutes from frozen. I do this in my air fryer at 400 F.
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Hi! I have made this several times and love it! I make a topping too of organic coconut oil, brown sugar and cinnamon and it becomes dessert!
My question is, can you use inactive starter since you will essentially be “feeding” it? Thank u!
Great question! Technically, yes, you can – but, expect a very slow rise and a more sour flavor. This is because an inactive starter means an imbalance of yeast and bacteria – the yeast need time to reactivate and multiply, while the bacteria from an unfed starter are not diluted, resulting in sour bread. If you do use unfed starter, it’s best done at warm temperatures 75-78 F to help the yeast get going.