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  • Alastair Coates Gluten free Focaccia recipe slicing
  • Alastair Coates Gluten free Focaccia recipe
  • Nina Wagner vegan Pumpkin Chili Ginger Soup recipe

My Dad always makes an amazing focaccia for family gatherings or days out, and I thought it would be great if people avoiding gluten can share the joy. This is best enjoyed fresh, and if you are not going to eat it straight away, it freezes well.

Ingredients

  • 150 g buckwheat flour
  • 130 g chickpea flour
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 300 ml water
  • 60 ml olive oil
  • ½ tbsp ground flax seeds
  • ½ tbsp sea salt
  • 1 sprinkle sea salt flakes
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp rosemary, freshly chopped
  • 40 ml olive oil, to brush on top (use garlic infused oil in step one below)

Here’s how you make it

  1. (Optional) Peel a clove of garlic and chop into slices. Place in a saucepan with the oil you will be brushing on top of the bread. Heat for a few minutes – this should smell great, if it begins to bubble a bit around the garlic, take it off the heat and allow to cool. Remove the slices of garlic and discard (if you leave them on top of the bread in the oven they will burn and taste bitter.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200C and line a baking tray (mine is 9 x 9 inches). Do not grease it.
  3. Mix the buckwheat and chickpea flour together with baking powder, ground flax, turmeric and salt.
  4. Add 60 ml oil and 300 ml water and combine until there are no big lumps.
  5. If the consistency is really stiff add a little bit more water, so you can scoop and spread it.
  6. Pour the batter into the lined tray. Oil your fingers and make imprints into the surface. These will collect oil and herbs and make it delicious.
  7. Mix the herbs into the oil for the top and pour or brush roughly half of it over the top of the dough, making sure it is all covered. At this stage you could top with any of your favourite toppings, i.e. Sundried tomatoes, olives or cheese. My favourite is rosemary, which goes well with the garlic oil. Sprinkle some sea salt over the top.
  8. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 mins. You can insert a cocktail stick into a crack and see if it comes out with crumbs on it. If it has batter on it, put it back in the oven for a few more minutes, keeping a close eye on the top to make sure it doesn’t burn.
  9. Use the baking sheet to lift the bread out of the tin and brush on the remaining oil and sprinkle herbs all over the top surface while it is still hot. Leave to cool.
  10. Slice and serve!

diet types

Contributor Alastair Coates

Pictures by Tom Prezman
Date Added 25/10/2014
Type Preparation Time 0h 15m Cooking Time 0h 20m Serves 6