Easy Gluten-Free Quinoa Focaccia (Flourless)

This gluten-free quinoa focaccia bread is made entirely without flour, yet still delivers a wonderfully fluffy, moist crumb and a slightly crisp surface. An easy, natural gluten-free bread made from just a handful of ingredients!

Gluten-free quinoa focaccia cut into squares, topped with cherry tomatoes and rosemary

When I think back to gluten-free baking from a few years ago, words like 'dry, crumbly and inedible' come to mind. These days you can find recipes for gluten-free breads and the like online that easily keep up with their wheat counterparts.

The single most important ingredient for gluten-free bread baking: psyllium husks! And in this gluten-free quinoa focaccia recipe they play a central role too. Without psyllium husks the focaccia wouldn't turn out nearly as fluffy and moist. Besides psyllium husks - which are also rich in valuable fiber - all you need for this gluten-free focaccia bread is quinoa, yeast, salt, water and toppings of your choice, so no gluten-free flour blend is required. It doesn't get more natural than this!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
Step-By-Step Instructions
Top Tip!
Variations
Serving suggestions
FAQ
More gluten-free Recipes
Recipe
Comments

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Gluten-free & flourless: Quinoa, a gluten-free pseudorain, form the base for this gluten-free focaccia bread.
Natural & wholesome: Made from just a few natural ingredients.
Ultra light & moist: A moist, airy focaccia that keeps its lightness even after a few days.
Easy to make: This quinoa focaccia recipe is super simple - just make sure you plan for the proofing time.

White quinoa grains in a bowl, the base for gluten-free quinoa focaccia

Ingredient Notes

Quinoa - The base of the focaccia bread and essentially the flour substitute. Be sure to use white quinoa.
Psyllium husks - The replacement for the missing gluten. They bind the dough and give it that typical fluffy, moist focaccia bread texture. There is no substitute for this ingredient!
Active dry yeast - Make sure the yeast hasn't expired yet.
Salt - Belongs in every bread.
Olive oil - For a bit more flavor and moisture. Completely optional - you can easily make the focaccia oil-free.
Date or cherry tomatoes & rosemary - For the classic focaccia flavor. It also tastes great with halved olives and minced garlic.

See recipe card for quantities.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Gluten-free quinoa focaccia batter spread into a parchment-lined baking pan

Step 1: Rinse the quinoa thoroughly, cover with hot water and soak for at least 2 hours.

Soaked psyllium husk gel being stirred in a bowl for the focaccia dough

Step 2: Stir the psyllium husks with water and put aside. It will bind the water and form a gel.

Step 3: Drain the quinoa, rinse and drain well.

Step 4: Blend the quinoa with water, salt and (optionally) olive oil in a blender until smooth. Add the psyllium gel and the yeast and blend briefly again.

Step 5: Transfer the batter into a prepared, lined or oiled pan and smooth it out.

Risen gluten-free quinoa focaccia dough showing its airy, bubbly texture

Step 6: Cover and let it rise in the fridge for 8-10 hours (or overnight).

Risen focaccia dough topped with halved cherry tomatoes and rosemary before baking

Step 7: After the proofing time, scatter a few tomato halves and fresh rosemary sprigs on the surface and slightly press into the dough.

baked flourless focaccia with tomatoes and rosemary

Step 8: Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C / 390 °F for about 35 minutes. For a slightly crispy surface, briefly use the broil setting at the end.

Before removing the focaccia bread from the pan, make sure to let it cool for about 15 minutes.

Top Tip!

Dough consistency: The dough is more of a thick batter than a classic bread dough - that's normal. You won't be able to shape it with your hands.

Patience pays off: The long proofing time results in better texture and flavor.

Hand holding a slice of fluffy vegan gluten-free quinoa focaccia

Variations

Fresh or dried herbs - Instead of fresh rosemary you can also use dried herbs or even a mix (e.g. oregano, thyme, basil).
Spices - Coarse salt, chili flakes or coarsely ground black pepper add flavor accents.
Garlic - Press a few garlic cloves through a garlic press and brush them onto the dough surface. If it doesn't need to be oil-free, drizzle some garlic oil on the focaccia dough before baking.
Vegetables - Besides tomatoes, (pickled) red peppers, zucchini, olives, capers, or onion slices are a great option too.
Pesto - Either store-bought from a jar or homemade.

Serving suggestions

This gluten-free focaccia bread goes perfectly with:

Soups: tomato soup, creamy vegetable soup, carrot-ginger soup
Salads: beetroot-carrot salad
Antipasti or roasted vegetables
Dips: carrot hummus, savory tomato jam
Stews: white beans in sweet potato sauce, chili sin carne
Roasted cauliflower on tahini sauce
Or simply with a little olive oil or pesto

FAQ

Can you taste the quinoa?

Naturally, the bread tastes different than if you baked it the classic way with flour. The flavor, however, is pleasantly mild and slightly nutty.

Can I replace the psyllium husks?

No, the psyllium husks are essential for the airy and moist texture of gluten-free bread like this one.

Can I also let the dough rise at room temperature for a shorter time?

That's certainly possible too; I haven't tested it myself yet. The proofing time should then reduce to about 2-3 hours. Still, I recommend the slow fermentation in the fridge for a better flavor.

How do I best store the focaccia?

It easily keeps for 5-6 days stored airtight in the fridge. To reheat, simply pop it in the microwave briefly or the air fryer (150 °C / 300 °F for 5-8 minutes).

More gluten-free Recipes

Looking for other vegan recipes that are gluten-free? Try these:

I hope you'll give my vegan quinoa focaccia recipe a try. If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe and tag me on instagram (#veggiejam) with your recreation.

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