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    Home » Baking

    Gluten-Free Focaccia {Dairy-Free, Vegan}

    Published: Jun 17, 2021 · by Audrey

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    gluten-free focaccia bread Pinterest pin 2

    An easy recipe for gluten-free focaccia topped with rosemary. This gluten-free Italian bread is also naturally dairy-free and vegan. 

    gluten-free focaccia sliced into pieces

    Gluten-Free Focaccia

    Gluten-free focaccia is a simple Italian yeast bread that is baked on a sheet pan. This gluten-free flatbread is both chewy and crispy. The top and bottom of the bread are crispy, and the inside of the bread has a squishy and airy texture.

    Focaccia is topped with olive oil, salt, herbs, and sometimes vegetables. This gluten-free bread is often served as a side to a meal, and it can be used as a really thick pizza crust or sliced to make sandwiches.

    Making gluten-free focaccia bread at home is super easy! Focaccia bread only takes 30 minutes to rise and it bakes for 20 minutes.

    You can see how easy it is to make gluten-free focaccia in the recipe step photos and the recipe video.

    How To Make Gluten-Free Focaccia

    • Preheat your oven to the proofing setting or to 200°F. Once it gets to 100°, turn off your oven.
    • In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free all-purpose flour, instant yeast, gluten-free baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine the ingredients.
    • Warm the water to 110°-115°F. I microwave the water in a large glass measuring cup for 30-45 seconds. I also use a thermometer to check the temperature. If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
    • Add the honey or sugar to the warm water and stir until it is dissolved.
    • Pour the warm water and honey or sugar mixture into the gluten-free flour mixture and mix with your mixer on low. (I used my stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment).
    • Pour the olive oil and apple cider vinegar into the dough mixture and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes until the dough starts to forms. The dough will be sticky. (photo 1)
    • Place the dough in a greased ovenproof bowl (I used olive oil cooking spray) and cover it with plastic wrap. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in the warm oven for 30 minutes to rise. (photo 2)
    • Remove the dough from the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
    • Pour 1 tablespoon of olive onto the middle of a baking sheet.
    • Turn the bowl over on top of the greased baking sheet. Gently pat the dough into an 8 x 10 rectangle, about 1-inch thick. (photo 3 & 4)

    gluten-free focaccia bread recipe steps photo collage 1-4

    • Use your fingertips to press down lightly into the dough to form the dimples in the dough. (photo 5 & 6)
    • Drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil over the dimpled dough. Sprinkle the top of the dough with salt and the chopped rosemary (or your herbs of choice). (photo 7)
    • Bake on the top rack of the oven for 20 minutes. (photo 8)
    • For a golden-brown crust, set your oven to broil, and broil the bread for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Please watch your oven because every broiler is different and you could over crisp the focaccia.
    • Store leftovers in an air-tight container.
    • Reheat in the oven at 375°F on a baking sheet or in the microwave.

    All of the recipe’s ingredients and the recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page. 

    gluten-free focaccia bread recipe steps photo collage 5-8

    Is Yeast Gluten-Free?

    Most yeast is gluten-free, but some kinds of yeast do contain gluten. The most common kinds of yeast used for baking, like active dry yeast, instant yeast, and baker’s yeast are gluten-free.

    Brands that I bake with are Fleshman’s Rapid Rise Yeast, Red Star Instant Yeast, and SAF instant yeast. Always check your labels.

    Where Is The Best Place To Rise The Focaccia Dough?

    Yeast bread rises the best in a warm location. My oven has a bread proofing mode.

    When the oven is set in bread proofing mode it is at 100°F. If you do not have a proofing mode on your oven, you can set your oven to the lowest setting and turn it off once it reaches 100°F.

    I have even used my toaster oven/air fryer to proof the bread. I set it to the lowest temperature. Once it reaches temperature, I turn it off.

    gluten-free focaccia bread on a sliver baking pan with fresh rosemary and bowl of salt in the background

    Tips For Making The Best Focaccia Bread

    • Make sure that the gluten-free flour blend you are using is recommended for yeast baking. Check the package or the brand’s website. When in doubt, it is always best to use the brand of gluten-free flour that the recipe was created with. 
    • Make sure your instant/rapid yeast is fresh. If your yeast expired, you will not get a good rise.
    • Do not overheat the water or you could kill the yeast.
    • Make sure to rise the focaccia in a warm place. I rise my bread in the oven set to 100°F.
    • Shape the dough into an 8 x 10 rectangle shape that is about 1-inch thick.
    • Don’t skip the step to dimple (poke little holes) into the dough. It helps the olive oil soak into the bread.
    • Bake the focaccia on the top rack.
    • For a golden brown and crispy crust, broil the fully baked bread for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
    • Focaccia bread is easily sliced with a pizza cutter.

    Gluten-Free Flour

    When working with yeast recipes, it is really important that you use the right gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Not all blends are made for yeast recipes.

    For example, King Arthur Measure For Measure states on the back of their bag that it is not recommended for yeast recipes. Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour is also not recommended for yeast baking according to their website. 

    I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.

    This gluten-free focaccia was made with Pillsbury gluten-free flour. It is a rice flour cup for cup blend. A cup-for-cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend is one that already has the starches and xanthan gum.

    Most gluten-free all-purpose flour blends have starches and xanthan gum already in them. The xanthan gum helps replace the elasticity and texture of gluten.

    So make sure to check the ingredients of your gluten-free flour as not to add any extra xanthan gum to your flour if it already includes it. If you add extra xanthan gum to the recipe you will get gummy bread!

    Pro Tip For Measuring Gluten-Free Flour

    First, it’s important to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (not a pyrex liquid measuring cup) to measure the flour. I always measure gluten-free flour with the “spoon & level” method.

    I use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Then I use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup.

    Please do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup. If you do, you could end up with more flour than is called for in the recipe.

    gluten-free focaccia bread slices stacked on top of each other to show the bread's texture

    Easy Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread

    My gluten-free focaccia bread recipe only takes a few simple ingredients and is also dairy-free and vegan. In just a little over an hour, you can enjoy this popular Italian bread!

    More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes To Try!

    • Easy Gluten-Free Bread {Dairy-Free}
    • Gluten-Free Sweet Cornbread {Dairy-Free Option}
    • Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls {Dairy-Free Option}
    • Homemade Gluten-Free Bread {Dairy-Free Option}

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    ★Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below in the comments!★

    gluten-free focaccia bread sliced and stacked on top of each other
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    5 from 16 votes

    Gluten-Free Focaccia {Dairy-Free, Vegan}

    An easy recipe for gluten-free focaccia topped with rosemary. This gluten-free Italian bread is also naturally dairy-free and vegan. 
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword gluten-free dairy-free focaccia, gluten-free focaccia, gluten-free focaccia bread, gluten-free vegan focaccia
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    rising 30 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 225kcal
    Author Audrey from Mama Knows Gluten Free

    Ingredients

    • 3 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose. Not all brands of gluten-free flours work well for yeast baking.
    • 1 packet rapid yeast/instant yeast or 2 ¼ teaspoons of rapid yeast/instant yeast
    • 1 tablespoon gluten-free baking powder
    • 2 cups warm water (110°-115°) (heat 30-45 seconds in the microwave)
    • 1 tablespoon honey Vegan use granulated sugar.
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • ½ cup olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil (for greasing the pan and for the top of the bread)
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary You can use your favorite herb in place of the rosemary. I really like a combination of garlic powder and an Italian seasoning blend too.
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to the proofing setting or to 200°F. Once it gets to 100°F, turn off your oven.
    • In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free all-purpose flour, instant yeast, gluten-free baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine the ingredients.
    • Warm the water to 110°-115°F. I microwave the water in a large glass measuring cup for 30-45 seconds. I also use a thermometer to check the temperature. If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
    • Add the honey or sugar to the warm water and stir until it is dissolved.
    • Pour the warm water and honey or sugar mixture into the gluten-free flour mixture and mix with your mixer on low. (I used my stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment).
    • Pour the olive oil and apple cider vinegar into the dough mixture and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes until the dough starts to forms. The dough will be sticky.
    • Place the dough in a greased ovenproof bowl (I used olive oil cooking spray) and cover it with plastic wrap. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in the warm oven for 30 minutes to rise.
    • Remove the dough from the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
    • Pour 1 tablespoon of olive onto the middle of a baking sheet.
    • Turn the bowl over on top of the greased baking sheet. Gently pat the dough into an 8 x 10 rectangle about 1-inch thick.
    • Use your fingertips to press down lightly into the dough to form the dimples in the dough.
    • Drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil over the dimpled dough. Sprinkle the top of the dough with salt and the chopped rosemary (or your herbs of choice).
    • Bake on the top rack of the oven for 20 minutes. For a golden-brown crust, set your oven to broil, and broil the bread for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Please watch your oven because every broiler is different and you could over crisp the focaccia.
    • Store leftovers in an air-tight container.
    • Reheat in the oven at 375°F on a baking sheet or in the microwave.

    Video

    Notes

    • I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose. Not all brands of gluten-free flours are recommended for yeast baking. 
    • Store leftovers in an air-tight container.
    • Reheat in the oven at 375°F on a baking sheet or in the microwave.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brian says

      December 27, 2022 at 10:40 pm

      Reduced the oil and water slightly, mixed with Minimalist bakers GF mix, and rubbed black garlic with coarse salt on top. Unbelievably great. Thanks for another winning solution for gf/df luxury!

      Reply
    2. Lee Robins says

      December 06, 2022 at 1:56 pm

      I made this twice. First time was a dismal failure. My own fault. Second time…PERFECT! It’s so good, you can’t tell it’s gluten-free. I used Presidents Choice All Purpose GF flour blend. I found that if I oil my hands with olive oil, I get nice dimples.

      Reply
    3. Suzanne says

      December 03, 2022 at 12:25 pm

      I love this recipe, my family loves this recipe. I use King Arthur cup for cup and it works beautifully. The dough is much softer than pictured here using this flour. I let it mix for 4 minutes once all the ingredients are added and I let it rise in the stand mixer bowl. I bake it in a glass baking dish for 30 to 40 minutes and it’s delicious! (Glass is best with KA flour)

      Reply
    4. Focaccia Fan says

      November 18, 2022 at 7:07 pm

      I’ve made this a few times and it’s really good! I just use 1/4c of olive oil instead of 1/2c

      Reply
    5. GFDF says

      November 01, 2022 at 2:29 pm

      Easy to follow recipe , delicious results! I used cup4cup flour and honey . Also the dough was sticky so it didn’t really dimple when I pressed lightly it peaked a bit still came out delicious! Baked it for 20 minutes and broiled for 1 min 20 sec

      Reply
      • Doreen says

        January 28, 2023 at 10:57 am

        Cup4Cup Multipurpose flour or a different Cup4Cup flour? They have quite a few gf flour blends.

        Reply
        • Audrey says

          January 29, 2023 at 10:14 pm

          Hi Doreen! I bake with Pillsbury gluten-free flour. It is a cup for cup all-purpose flour gluten-free blend with xanthan gum. Cup4Cup is a brand of a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. It has milk powder in the blend, so I have not test baked with it.

          Reply
    6. Ann Ailsworth says

      September 08, 2022 at 4:43 pm

      Amazing!!! My husband and I are so excited to finally be able to enjoy bread again!!! I used King Arthur 1-1 gluten free flour and followed the recipe as instructed. My bread turned out perfectly. Thank you for such an EASY and delicious bread recipe!!!

      Reply
    7. Cindy Howard says

      August 04, 2022 at 2:27 pm

      Fantastic! I can have chewy delicious bread again! I will be trying flavor variations and using this instead of attempting pizza dough or rolls in the future. And some of it is going to get toasted in cubes and used in a Focaccia Panzanella recipe with fresh summer tomatoes. Thank you so much for an easy and delicious bread!

      Reply
    8. Linda Southey says

      June 13, 2022 at 10:29 am

      Thank you for a fabulous, easy recipe…………….I will definitely make this more often! If I can manage, this recipe successfully, then so can all the other idiot bakers……………love from South Africa!

      Reply
    9. Kristina says

      April 30, 2022 at 4:47 am

      This is great and now a regular side dish. THANK YOU from Australia 🙂

      Reply
    10. Eva says

      March 07, 2022 at 7:57 pm

      This is the best bread ever!!!! It is soooo good! Whenever I make it for my family they always end up devouring it as soon as it gets out of the oven! Also, you can add different stuff on top. Sometimes I won’t add any spices and I will put jam on the bread, it’s so good.

      Reply
    11. David says

      February 15, 2022 at 5:40 pm

      Mine came out perfect! This was my first attempt at yeast bread. I didn’t have a mixer, so I just used a spoon and a bowl. I was a little worried because my dough was stick and wouldn’t ‘dimple’. It was more like stalagmites. But it worked out.

      Reply
    12. Diane says

      January 16, 2022 at 5:38 pm

      This focaccia recipe has been on repeat at our house for the last few months. With all the gfree/dairy free folks in our family its a hit for every family get together. A very easy & quick recipe to make. Love it. Trying your pie crust recipe next 🙂

      Reply
    13. Shellie Graziano says

      November 21, 2021 at 10:26 am

      My husband says this is the best gluten-free bread he’s ever had!

      Reply
      • Amber Rivera says

        December 18, 2021 at 6:33 pm

        I use Walmart brand all-purpose gluten free flour and it works great. I do not use honey I use agave in the Raw. my kids and my husband love it. it also works great for making a muffaletta crust

        Reply
    14. Shellie Graziano says

      November 21, 2021 at 10:24 am

      My husband said this is the best gluten-free bread he’s ever had

      Reply
    15. Margie says

      July 18, 2021 at 10:27 pm

      Can I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour and add xanthan gum? If so, how much do I add?

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        July 21, 2021 at 8:28 pm

        Hi Margie! The Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour already has the xanthan gum on the mix. You will not need to add any extra xanthan gum to the recipe. Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour is not recommended for yeast baking according to tho their website. I bake with Pillsbury gluten-free flour. I order it from Walmart. I also like Better Batter gluten-free flour for yeast baking.

        Reply
    16. Misty says

      June 21, 2021 at 3:49 pm

      The best & easiest thing I’ve ever made!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      This is hands down
      DELICIOUS
      EASY
      FAST
      SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
      I was nervous because GF flour is a pain and I’m not a baker at all… not only did I proof this in my Air Fryer but I BAKED it too!!! We will add this to our top GF Vegan Recipes. My daughter is in love with it. Had to hide it.

      Reply
    17. Aida Masic says

      June 20, 2021 at 9:04 pm

      Ms. Audrey. As I was making your pizza crust, I was literally telling my husband I wonder if I can make focaccia Bread from this recipe and this is I think Exact..!! Can’t wait!

      Reply

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    Audrey Roberts in a white kitchen for a profile photo

    I'm Audrey Roberts, a busy mama of four and I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family. I make gluten-free family-friendly recipes that are simple and delicious that you can too! I use easy to find ingredients that won't break your budget. You will also find dairy-free options and Paleo recipes. I am also the author of  The Everything Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Cookbook, which is an Amazon Best Selling Cookbook in the US and Internationally. Living gluten-free since 2010. I hope by me sharing my journey it may help you with yours.  Read More…

     

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