Gluten-Free Heirloom Tomato Focaccia

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My gluten-intelligence has been on the rise since my first ever gluten-free strawberry shortcake. What started as testing recipes for friends who are gluten intolerant has now become my personal quest. I do not have Celiac disease, but have determined my sinus issues are linked to a gluten sensitivity. The flour our ancestors ate is not the same modern grain we are consuming today, sad but true. Nowadays, the best way to get wholesome flour is to buy a countertop grain mill, source organic heritage wheat, and mill it yourself, just like my friend Kim Dyla in Southold, NY. She grows and makes everything by scratch, a true inspiration. Here is a small video of her grain mill. This is on my kitchen gadget bucket list.

My herb garden is bustling in this first week of fall, and the end of summer heirloom tomatoes are still flowing from Stephanie Gaylor of Invincible Summer Farms. This week, I turned her tomatoes into a sauce, dehydrated as a condiment, whizzed up some gazpacho, and even created an heirloom tomato focaccia. There are still tomatoes to be had, however, it will soon be over. I tried my hand at making a gluten-free focaccia. This recipe is based on Aran Goyoaga's focaccia, featured in her book: Small Plates and Sweet Treats. If you have not turned all your tomatoes into a sauce, consider making this gluten-free focaccia, you will not miss the gluten.

Recipe: Heirloom Tomato Focaccia

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of potato starch
  • 1 cup sorghum flour
  • 1/2 cup of millet flour
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • ¾ cup of warm water
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of ground chia seeds
  • 3 tablespoons of boiling water
  • 2 teaspoons of sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon of ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
  • 1 egg
  • 2.5 cups of small heirloom tomatoes (or any other small variety) cut in half
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Pinch of chunky sea salt

Garnish

  • Fresh oregano
heirloom tomatoes.jpg

Directions

  1. In a small bowl whisk the yeast, warm water and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes until it gets foamy.
  2. In a small bowl whisk the chai seeds and 3 tablespoons of boiling water. Stir and set-aside the paste like mixture.
  3. In a bowl for a stand mixer combine the potato starch, sorghum flour, millet flour, sea salt, pepper, egg, olive oil, yeast mixture, chia paste and honey.

    note: it is best to measure the olive oil first before the honey as the oil helps the honey to completely spill out.
     
  4. Mix for 1 minute with the paddle attachment. Pour the mixture into an
    8 x 11 baking pan or dish that is well oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until the dough has double in size, about an hour.
     
  5. Preheat the oven to 375° .
     
  6. Once dough is ready gently place the tomato halves into the dough. Drizzle olive oil over the top and a pinch or two of chunky sea salt.


Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Garnish with oregano.