Gluten Free Focaccia Bread

This is the best gluten free focaccia bread recipe. It’s easy to make, light and airy with a perfectly crisp crust. Topped with rosemary, parmesan and flaky salt for a flavorful appetizer or snack.

I used to be such a big bread girl before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. But focaccia has always been one of my favorites. It’s an Italian bread that can be used as a side dish or even as a sandwich bread if sliced that way.

This recipe definitely took some trial and error because it’s different than other gluten free dough type recipes where you actually want the dough to be really wet. Takes some getting used to as a baker!

If you love this recipe, try my gluten free bagels or gluten free naan bread next!

Before we get started…

• You need to use the Bob’s Red Mill GF Bread mix (pictured below), the gluten free all purpose baking flour will not work here!
• Be sure to use instant yeast and not the active dry yeast packet that comes with the flour.
• The dough will be wet and sticky! Don’t be worried about that, it is key to a fluffy and airy texture.
• Let the bread cool before slicing. This will help the structure set so the bread won’t be gummy at all.

How to make gluten free focaccia bread

Open the bag of flour and discard the yeast packet in there. We want the instant yeast for this recipe.

Add the flour, packet of instant yeast, baking powder, salt and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook.

Mix until all ingredients are combined.

Warm the water to 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit. This usually takes about 50 seconds in my microwave. If it’s too hot, let it cool before adding to the dry ingredients or it will kill the yeast.

With the mixer running on low, pour in the water and olive oil.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and then let the mixture run for about 2-3 minutes.

Grease a bowl with olive oil, then add in the dough. It will be quite wet. Cover, then place in a warm, dark environment to rise for 1 hour.

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. You can use 9×9 if that’s all you have, but the bread won’t be as thick and the bake time will be shorter.

When you have about 15 minutes left of rise time, preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit.

Add the dough to the prepared pan and use a greased rubber spatula or oiled hands to spread evenly.

Top with the parmesan, then use oiled fingers to poke holes in the top. You can add the parmesan after, but it will cover the holes and I prefer the look of adding it before.

Add on top the rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Try 16-20 minutes for a 9×9.

Let cool for about 30 minutes, then slice and enjoy!

Serving suggestions

I love dipping this gluten free focaccia in an herb infused olive oil as a simple appetizer or side dish. It’s great with herbs like rosemary, parsley, chives, thyme and even some lemon zest or garlic added in there.

If you want to get a big fancier, I love my roasted red pepper hummus or red pepper sauce as a dip.

You can also slice it into thinner pieces and use it as sandwich bread! It will hold up well with all of your favorite sandwich fillings and add so much delicious flavor.

How to store and freeze

This gluten free focaccia actually stores pretty well! Anything with yeast that’s gluten free can be a little tricky, but for this recipe, I recommend letting the bread cool, then slicing and storing in an air tight container.

You can do this at room temperature or the fridge, and then warm it up in the oven before serving so it feels fresh again.

Alternatively, you can bake, cool, slice, then transfer to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat at 300 Fahrenheit until warm through the center.

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