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This easy, Gluten Free Focaccia bread is one of the easiest gluten free bread recipes – and my absolute favourite! Flavoured garlic and rosemary, this vegan focaccia recipe has no dairy or eggs, is deliciously crunchy on the outside and squidgy on the inside.
If you’re looking for an easy beginner gluten free bread recipe, my Gluten Free Focaccia is the perfect solution.
With a crisp, crunchy exterior and fluffy inside, it is made from simple ingredients and you can flavour it with herbs, olives, cheese, tomatoes and more.
Focaccia is an Italian bread, similar to a gluten free pizza crust, which is made using olive oil. This makes the crust beautifully crisp and golden.
Get creative and use this gluten free focaccia as a base recipe for your own gluten free baking session to create a masterpiece!
And if you love this, you’re sure to love my other gluten free bread recipes, from soft white rolls and brioche burger buns to crunchy gluten free baguettes.
Why make this gluten free focaccia recipe?
- Great for beginners: If you’ve never, ever made gluten free bread before then this is the recipe to start with – it’s so simple!
- Accessible ingredients: This focaccia bread is made using ingredients from UK supermarkets – no complicated ingredients you can’t find anywhere.
- Vegan and dairy free: This recipe is accidentally vegan – it is a gluten free bread with no eggs or dairy – so perfect for multiple food allergies and intolerances.
- Easy to adapt: There are so many variations you can make to this focaccia bread. Keep it simple with sea salt and rosemary or add olives, herbs, onion, sun-dried tomatoes or even potato slices for different variations and flavours.
Ingredients
There’s a full printable recipe card below, but here’s what you’ll need for the shopping list for this gluten free focaccia bread recipe:
- FREEE Gluten Free White Bread Flour: I recommend using this flour as I find it works best for gluten free bread. However using a plain gluten free flour does also work in this recipe if you cannot source the bread flour.
- Yeast: Not all yeast is gluten free – I use Allinson’s Easy Bake Yeast or the FREEE Gluten Free Yeast. You will want a dried, quick yeast or instant yeast.
- Sugar: This is essential to activate the yeast – don’t skip it!
- Xanthan Gum: Essential for getting the right chewy texture with this focaccia. Without it your gluten free bread will be crumbly.
- Olive Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in the bread dough and to sprinkle on top to help the crust go nice and crispy.
- Salt: I recommend a fine salt for the bread mixture, and Maldon salt flakes for the top.
- Water
- Fresh Rosemary
There’s no dairy or eggs in the recipe either, so that means this is a vegan gluten free focaccia bread without any adaptations needed.
How to make gluten free focaccia
This gluten free focaccia recipe is so simple to make – but here are some step-by-step photos to help guide you through it. There’s also a video in the recipe card below.
First Activate Your Yeast: Place the warm water in a jug (it should be around skin-temperature or 40C) and stir in the caster sugar until dissolved.
Add the yeast, stir and then cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm spot for 7-10 minutes. It should form a head like on beer – when it does it’s ready to use.
Next make the bread dough: Add the gluten free flour, xanthan gum and 1 tsp salt to a large mixing bowl and stir.
When the yeast mixture is ready, form a well in the centre of the flour mix and pour in. Mix together with a wooden spoon until it forms a thick batter.
Add 3 tbsp olive oil to the mixture and fold in with the wooden spoon until mixed well.
Prove the focaccia: Use 1 tbsp olive oil to generously grease a 20cm-diameter round tin or cast iron skillet.
Pour the bread mixture in and use oiled fingers to spread it out evenly in a flat layer. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and place in a warm, draft-free spot for around an hour to prove.
Bake the focaccia: Once the dough has proved, it should have expanded in size. Heat the oven to 220’C / Fan 200’C / Gas Mark 8.
Use an oiled thumb or finger to poke dimples into the top of the focaccia dough and press sprigs of rosemary into these at random.
Drizzle with extra oil (around 1 tbsp) and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The focaccia should be golden and crisp on top and sound hollow when tapped.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the sea salt flakes. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before turning out of the tin and slicing up to serve.
Recipe Tip
You’ll know the gluten free focaccia bread is ready in the oven when it’s a gorgeous golden colour. If you tap it, it should sound hollow and feel firm to the touch – if not, just give it a little extra time in the oven. Cover with foil if it’s going to brown.
Focaccia varations
Not sure how to top your dairy and gluten free focaccia bread? Here are some ideas for focaccia bread toppings:
- Rosemary and Garlic: I pressed whole garlic cloves and springs of rosemary into this gluten free focaccia before sprinkling with Maldon salt flakes.
- Sliced Potatoes: Adding thinly sliced potatoes to focaccia is delicious! The potatoes go lovely and crisp and golden as the bread cooks.
- Tomatoes and Herbs: Use fresh, halved tomatoes and sprigs of herbs to create a garden scene on your focaccia bread. Thyme, rosemary and sage all work well.
- Olives: I absolutely adore an olive focaccia bread – the addition of sun-dried tomatoes also takes this up a notch!
More gluten free bread recipes
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.
Gluten Free Focaccia (Dairy Free, Vegan)
Ingredients
- 250 g FREEE Gluten Free White Bread Flour, (or plain GF flour)
- 7 g dried yeast
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 250 ml warm water
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp salt
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling/greasing
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Pinch Maldon sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Place the warm water in a jug (it should be around skin-temperature) and stir in the caster sugar until dissolved. Add the yeast, stir and then cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm spot for 7-10 minutes. It should form a head like on beer – when it does it’s ready to use.
- Add the gluten free flour, xanthan gum and 1 tsp salt to a large mixing bowl and stir.
- When the yeast mixture is ready, form a well in the centre of the flour mix and pour in. Mix together with a wooden spoon until it forms a thick batter.
- Add 3 tbsp olive oil to the mixture and fold in with the wooden spoon until mixed well.
- Use 1 tbsp olive oil to generously grease a 20cm-diameter round tin. Pour the bread mixture in and use oiled fingers to spread it out evenly in a flat layer. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and place in a warm, draft-free spot for around an hour to prove.
- Once the dough has proved, it should have expanded in size. Heat the oven to 220’C / Fan 200’C / Gas Mark 8. Use an oiled thumb or finger to poke dimples into the top of the focaccia dough and press sprigs of rosemary into these at random.
- Drizzle with extra oil (around 1 tbsp) and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The focaccia should be golden and crisp on top and sound hollow when tapped.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the sea salt flakes. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before turning out of the tin and slicing up to serve.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to jazz up the flavours – you could try adding sliced olives, caramelised onions, figs, feta, other fresh herbs of tomatoes – go crazy!
- For more FAQs including troubleshooting your yeast and how to store this focaccia bread, scroll down below this recipe card.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions I get asked about making this gluten free focaccia. If you can’t find the answer you need, ask me in the comments!
If your yeast mixture doesn’t form a ‘head’ after 10 minutes, it’s likely the yeast is out of date or no longer active, and your bread will not rise. You will most likely have to discard the mixture and start again with a fresh pack. It may be that the water is too cold/hot so always ensure you use a food thermometer for best results.
Bread may also not rise if it is under-proved. If it’s a cold day or it is put in a draughty spot it may take longer to prove. You want it to visually look like it has expanded before you put the focaccia in the oven.
I always recommend using xanthan gum as it helps to replicate the stretch of the gluten. Without it, your bread may be dry and crumbly.
This bread is best eaten fresh but you can store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days and/or freeze them for up to 6 months. This focaccia bread can be cooled completely, sliced and frozen. I would recommend refreshing it in the oven or air fryer before eating if you are not eating it fresh. You can also toast slices!
Yes! Gluten free bread is always made from more of a batter than traditional bread dough. I tend to use wet (or oiled) hands for my focaccia bread to stop it sticking. This is totally normal – don’t add extra flour or your bread will be very dry!
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After mine was under proofed and didn’t rise the first time I tried a second time — made the water for proofing the yeast a bit warmer and added a little apple cider vinegar. Turned out much better and delicious! For those wanting US measurements, here’s what I used. Oven temp: 425. Flour: 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tsp. Yeast: one packet. Sugar: 2 tsp. Water:1 cup plus a little bit more. Xantham gum: 1tsp. Salt: 1 tsp. Hope this helps!
do i need xanthan gum because it is a gluten free flour? can i do without it?
Can you make this receipe and let it rise overnight in the fridge? I have made a regular focaccia loaf this way and it is so easy.
Thank you so much for this! My daughter has colitis and is gluten free so I’m now making it as her regular treat. She loves it x
Perfect, super easy , golden in 25 oven minutes. Guar Gum also worked instead of Xanthan gum. Thanks!
Hi… My dough did not rise though the yeast was perfect… I used the mixer instead of the wooden spoon.. I let it proof for 2 hurs since it would not rise. .also it did not brown at all… temps were 428f… let me know what you recommend please to solve my issues..it was still delcious…
Hmm that sounds odd – are you in the US as you’re using F? I am in the UK so it could be the different flour mix. As for the proving, it should have risen – was it in a warm, draft-free spot?
Recommended.
This recipe was one of my first forays into GF baking. It was simple and straightforward. The time needed for proving will vary, depending upon yeast quality, water and air temperatures. My focaccia took about 3 hours to ‘puff up’, and the end result was absolutely fine. Bread rises in its own good time, an hour or two here or there is par for the course. Thank you for providing the recipe and instructions, they were very much appreciated.
I believe the recipe translates the flour wrong when going to US measures. 250 grams is around 1 cup.