Tomato Focaccia (gluten free)

A delicious Italian-style flat bread – great to serve as a starter with dips. I also sometimes cut the whole bread horizontally and fill with cold meats and salad for a yummy snack.

Recipe from The New Zealand Gluten-Free Cookbook by Jimmy Boswell 2012, published by Penguin New Zealand. Photography by Sean Shadbolt.

Makes 1 by 30-cm (12 inch) loaf

Ingredients

• 15 g (1/2 ounce) active dry yeast
• 180 ml warm water
• 2 ¼ cups gluten-free plain flour mix
• 1 tsp salt
• 10 fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 large fresh basil leaves,
• shredded
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• coarse sea salt

Method

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 120 ml of the warm water and set aside for 10 minutes until frothy.        

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour mix, salt, yeast mixture and remaining water and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. The mixture may be quite sticky so add a little more flour mix if needed.

Bring the dough together with your hands, transfer to a floured work surface and knead well for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for about 1–1½ hours or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 220 °C and lightly oil a baking tray.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface, punch down and knead for a few minutes.

Place the dough on the oiled baking tray, pulling it into an oval or circle about the size of a dinner plate. Dimple the surface with your fingertips or knuckles, then space the tomato halves across the surface and sprinkle the basil leaves over the top. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden – don’t expect the bread to ‘brown up’ in the oven like ordinary focaccia. The surface may crack during baking and this is okay. Serve bread warm or at room temperature.