Gluten Free Garlic Focaccia - soft, tasty, easy!

I can hear all my fellow Coeliacs out there reading the title of this post saying 'yeah right - soft, tasty, easy.  Can't be gluten free!'???!!!

I'm super excited to put this recipe together and be able to say 'YES IT IS!!'.  Not only that, but its not all starchy and processed.  I've put linseeds, chia, buckwheat and chickpeas in this mix which gives it real guts, substance and obviously a swag of nutrients!

I think the secret behind the soft texture is the greek yogurt.  The cultures in yogurt do magical things to grains (meats too while I mention it!) to soften and lighten.  Especially given the shorter proving time, I think the yogurt helped the yeast do its thing!



I can just imagine all the delicious ways you could serve this up and woo the pants off your friends and family!  Tonight I started creating this an hour before dinner was served, so this is definitely not out of reach for a throw together mid week meal.  Keep it plain as an accompaniment to meals, or jazz it up a bit for a weekend brunch/lunch get together, light meal or a tasty hor d'oeuvre.  Think prosciutto and oven baked tomatoes, torn buffalo mozzarella with olives and fresh basil, chopped herbs, chilli and anchovies.......

Heading into the cooler months, this focaccia slab will help mop up the juices of your favourite Osso Bucco or the heartiest of soups, while the freshly crushed garlic cloves will help ward off those pesky colds and flus!

Soooo, lets stop talking about it and get in the kitchen!  I have a feeling this time you'll be happy to be Coeliac, and we may find others will pretend to be too!! ( :

Enjoy.....

Gluten Free Garlic Focaccia

Ingredients

25g linseeds
20g chickpeas (chickpea flour if not using TMX)
20g raw buckwheat (buckwheat flour if not using TMX)
10g chia seeds
400g gluten free plain flour (I used Orgran brand)
2 tsp dried yeast
1/4 tsp salt + extra for sprinkling over the top
10g rapadura sugar
1 egg
30ml olive oil + extra for drizzling over the top
100g greek yogurt
2 large cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped

Method - Conventional

1. Line a lamington tray with baking paper.
2. Place linseeds and chia seeds in food processor and grind until a fine consistency.  
3. Add chickpea, buckwheat and plain flour, yeast, salt and sugar and mix thoroughly.
4. Add egg, oil and yogurt and process on a medium speed.  While motor is running, slowly pour warm water through the top 'shoot' until you reach a thick paste consistency (approx 200-250ml).  Continue to blend for a further minute.
5. Spoon mix into lined tray and spread out evenly.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.  Place tray in a warm area for 30 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
6. Drizzle dough with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic and salt.
7. Place in oven and cook for approx 30 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.
8. Serve warm.

Method - Thermomix

1. Line a lamington tray with baking paper.
2. Place linseeds, chickpeas, buckwheat and chia seeds in TM bowl and grind on speed 10 for 1 minute.
3. Add plain flour, yeast, salt and sugar and process on speed 5 for 15 seconds.
4. Add egg, oil and yogurt and blend on speed 6.  Slowly pour warm water into the mix while blending, until a thick paste forms (approx 200-250ml).  The motor will labor a bit so as I added more water I turned the speed up to 7-8).  Blend for a total of 2 minutes 30 seconds.
5. Follow steps 5-8 above.