Focaccia with Garlic, Olives and Sun-dried Tomatoes

by Laura Friendly
Focaccia with Garlic, Olives and Sun-dried Tomatoes
by Laura Friendly
Start to Finish: about 3 hours (including 2 hours to allow the dough to rest and rise)

• 1 cup White Sorghum flour
• 1 cup Brown Rice flour
• 1 cup Tapioca flour/starch
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast (I use Red Star Active Dry Yeast)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp xanthan gum
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 cup warm water
• ⅓ to ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, (soaked in water or oil, until soft), cut into strips
• ⅓ cup olives, sliced in half lengthwise
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (or 2 heads roasted garlic)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

This past weekend, I spent A LOT of time in the kitchen. I worked on a handful of different recipes… trying, tasting, baking, cooking, scheming, creating, burning (it happens), until I finally worked out a few delights to share.
One of these recipes is a yummy Gluten-free Focaccia Bread. I wanted to make a bread that would be perfect with pasta, and also delicious to snack on. This recipe is really very simple, but it does require a bit of time to make. I love the combination of roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and olives. These three beauties come together to create bite after bite of deliciousness.

• Lightly coat a Half Size Sheet Pan (12in x 17in rimmed baking sheet) with olive oil, set aside.
• In a heavy-duty, stand mixer (with paddle), combine dry ingredients: flours, yeast, salt and xanthan gum. Mix well.
• In a separate bowl, mix together wet ingredients: eggs, oil, agave and warm water. With the stand mixer on low, gradually add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients — ½ cup at a time — until all of the wet ingredients are well incorporated into the dough. note: the dough will be very sticky
• Coat your hands with olive oil and transfer the dough onto the baking sheet. Using your hands, gently spread the dough into a thin layer, across the baking sheet. Lightly coat the top of the dough with more olive oil.
• Place sun-dried tomatoes, olives and garlic on top of dough, gently pressing them into the dough. Sprinkle dough with salt and pepper.
• Loosely cover the baking sheet with foil, plastic or a kitchen towel (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature, until it rises slightly, approximately 2 hours.
• 30 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450º F. Slide the baking sheet into the center of the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. The focaccia should be lightly browned and firm. Allow to cool for before slicing or eating.