Today I present to you a soft gluten-free focaccia, very tasty, that can be eaten on its own, as a substitute for bread, or filled as you prefer. We can make it with a fermentation of about 18-24 hours or to eat it on the same day. In the procedure below, I will indicate both methods. Personally, I prefer letting it rise for about 18-20 hours in total (from the preparation of the starter to the time of cooking), because the focaccia remains very soft, maintaining its flavor even the day after cooking. Prepare it as a snack, appetizer finger food, hunger-busting snack, for the Easter Monday outing, etc…
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 18 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 2 oz Water (lukewarm)
- 50 g gluten-free flour mix for bread and pizza
- 1 g fresh gluten-free yeast (for about 18 hours of rising)
- fermented starter
- 250 g gluten-free flour mix for bread and pizza
- 7 oz Water (lukewarm)
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- as needed rice flour for dusting
Before proceeding with the preparation of this soft and tasty gluten-free focaccia, some clarifications on the type of flours I used, the rising times, and the various steps that should not be ignored, as each has its importance.
– If we want to prepare it to eat it on the same day (for dinner, for example), we will start early in the morning preparing the starter, using no more than 4 grams of fresh yeast, letting the starter rise and then the dough at room temperature, in a warm and dry place, without drafts. All other ingredients and preparation steps remain the same.
– The water should be lukewarm, so not too hot or boiling; in addition, the quantity of water indicated is calibrated on the ready-made mix specific for bread and pizza “Fioreglut” by the Caputo brand. If you use other types of mixes or a mix made by yourself, it is very likely that the quantities of water, both for the starter and the actual dough, may change, meaning you might need a little more or a little less than what I indicated.
– The preparation and rising times in the various steps are purely indicative because they are subject to humidity and the ambient temperature present at the time you are preparing the focaccia; this means it might take a little more or a little less time than what I indicated. I prepare this focaccia at least once a week and the rising times are never the same, even though I always prepare it in the same place, namely in my kitchen.
– You absolutely must not rush through the steps and, as you will read, I will repeat several times to be gentle and to perform the steps gently. This is a necessary practice with gluten-free doughs, which tend to break and spoil easily.
Now let’s prepare our focaccia. In a bowl (or directly in a stand mixer, if it is more convenient for you) pour the lukewarm water and dissolve the fresh yeast with a fork.
Add the 50 grams of already sifted flour and mix, as shown in photo 1 (don’t worry if you encounter difficulties because it hardens almost immediately). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise. When the starter appears ready (photo 2), we will proceed to make the actual dough.
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In the same bowl as the starter or in the stand mixer (depending on where you have decided to work the dough) add first 5 oz of lukewarm water little by little to dissolve the starter, using hands or a fork, until it is perfectly dissolved, without lumps.
Then add all the mix (250 grams), mix very roughly without kneading (photo 3). Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for exactly 30 minutes at room temperature.
After 30 minutes, take the bowl again, add the remaining 2 oz of lukewarm water, salt, and finally the oil (I prefer extra virgin oil in the focaccia, but you can also use a mild-flavored seed oil, if you prefer).
Knead with hands or with the stand mixer (hook attachment), stopping occasionally to scrape any dough that remains attached to the sides of the bowl and bring it back to the bottom; about 3-4 minutes will be enough (photo 4).
Seal the bowl again with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 60-70 minutes at the most (photo 5 of the dough as it appears after an hour and ten minutes of rest).
Now comes the, in my opinion, most important moment, because it’s the folding moment, to ensure that the gluten-free dough incorporates as much air as possible, to give it a structure that will hold the rise and that provides that typical softness of traditional wheat focaccias.. In the pictures below the sequence of “folds”.
After an hour, take the dough, dust the work table with rice flour.
– Gently turn the dough out onto the table and gently flatten it with your hands into a sort of rectangle (photo 5).
– Take the side to the right of the so-called rectangle and bring it towards the center (photo 6).
– Now take the side to our left and overlap it on the other (photo 7). You will have obtained a narrower rectangle placed vertically in front of you.
– Now roll this rectangle from top to bottom (photos 8-9-10). You will get a sort of cylinder.
Repeat all the steps done so far two more times. It will be easy because the dough, which does not contain gluten, does not need rest between folds and does not have the “elastic” effect that prevents optimal stretching.
– When we have finished folding for the third time, turn the obtained cylinder upside down, so that you see the seam of the closure fold, and using your fingertips, seal it completely (photo 11). Also seal the ends of the cylinder so that the trapped air remains inside.
– Work the cylinder briefly and still gently, until you give it the shape of a sphere (photo 12) that we will place in the bowl, seal it, and transfer it to the less cold part of the fridge for at least 12 hours (in summer we will instead place it in the coldest part of the fridge).
After 12 hours in the fridge (photo 13), take out the bowl with the dough and let it sit at room temperature for 60 minutes.
After an hour, oil or line with parchment paper a 28 cm diameter baking pan.
Oil your hands lightly, gently turn the dough out into the center of the pan (photo 14), and spread it calmly and gently, starting from the center of the dough, until it covers the whole surface (photo 15).
At this point, add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and distribute it evenly over the entire surface, using your hands or a kitchen brush. The oil will both give flavor and prevent the surface from drying out, hindering the dough’s development during baking. Transfer the pan to the switched-off oven and leave it there for one to two hours, depending on the room temperature.
When the focaccia is ready, take it out of the switched-off oven, turn it on, and bring it to 392°F (gluten-free flours don’t like too high temperatures) in a static oven; or 356°F in a fan oven.
Bake the focaccia in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes (if using a static gas oven with heat coming only from below), or about 15 minutes fan-assisted with heat coming simultaneously from below and above.
Our soft gluten-free focaccia will be ready when it appears uniformly golden (be careful not to let it darken too much as it would become dry).
Take it out of the oven immediately to prevent the residual heat from drying it excessively, let it cool for a couple of minutes to be able to cut it into wedges.
If we need to fill it entirely, it is advisable to wait 10-15 minutes before cutting it in half.
Bon appetit
