Remember the old fashioned white bread that was wholesome, fluffy with a bit of chew and just plain tasted good? This gluten free focaccia recipe is just that. It’s a feel good taste that you can’t just stop at one. The batter is also great for dinner rolls, or hamburger buns, or hot dog buns. Whenever you want a white type fluffy chew bread. This recipe takes that batter one step further, a gluten free focaccia that tastes as good as it gets. Last night, with this recipe, I made 8 hot dog buns and put the rest of the batter into a small baking tin.
After it proofed, I slathered it with the pesto. Then covered it with sun dried tomatoes. Baked ’til golden and warm out of the oven, you can’t stop eating it. It’s that good. No need to feel guilty enjoying the white stuff, if you use Cuisine Soleil all purpose flour, it’s made with organic brown rice and organic chickpea flour. Not too white at all, full of nutrients.
Gluten free breads are made in half the time that traditional wheat breads take to knead and proof. The results of this gluten free focaccia tastes like you spent all day making it. We won’t tell anyone you didn’t.
A Word on Pesto
Pesto is basically some kind of herb, mixed with some kind of nuts, mixed with some kind of hard cheese. Usually with some wet acid like lemon juice and rind, and then there’s the garlic, all emulsified with a wonderful oil. If you use this formula, you can get creative with your pesto. It’s wonderful spread on crackers, breads, savoury cakes, a mix into quinoa, rice or other grain… or on your finger! In this case I used Thai Basil! Then some pistachios, Romano cheese, and lemon and lime. It all worked and is deliciously zesty!
Gluten Free Focaccia with Basil Pistachio Pesto and Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 cups warm tepid water 1 tablespoon organic cane sugar 2 tablespoon active dry yeast
3 cups Cuisine Soleil All-Purpose Flour Mix 2 teaspoons xanthan gum (this is in addition to the xanthan gum in the mix) 3 tablespoons organic cane sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 2 large eggs 1/4 cup grape seed, canola, or olive oil olive oil for greasing the pan
4 or more large sun dried tomatoes in oil, chiffinaude
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of organic cane sugar into the tepid water. Add yeast and mix to dissolve. Let sit for about 5 minutes until it proofs and gets frothy.
Mix together dry ingredients.
In the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle, beat together eggs, vinegar and oil.
Add yeast mixture, beat to mix.
Add flour mixture, beat on low to combine, then beat on high for about 3 minutes.
Spoon dough into a well greased 9 x 13 baking tin.
Let double in size. About 40 minutes.
Cover with half the pesto. Reserve the rest for later enjoyment.
Cut the sundried tomatoes into strips and place on top of the pesto.
Bake for about 25 minutes until brown and golden on top.
Cut into squares.
Basil Pistachio Pesto
2 cups fresh basil 1/3 cup pistachios 1 cup grated parmesan 1 garlic clove Juice of 1 lemon Pinch of pepper ½ cup olive oil
In a food processor, drop garlic from the top while running. Stop when chopped.
Then add all the rest of the ingredients, with the exception of the olive oil.
Add the olive oil in a steady stream until the ingredients are emulsified.