Fluffy vegan spelt focaccia recipe

There are many things in life that make me happy, and focaccia is definitely one of them! The whole process of making focaccia brings a smile to my face. You truly can’t beat the smell of it cooking in the oven.

Top it with fresh cherry tomatoes and rosemary, served with balsamic vinegar and your finest extra virgin olive oil, and you’re in Italian heaven.

Whilst the title of this recipe states that this is a vegan focaccia recipe, most Focaccia is actually traditionally vegan, because it is made using just flour and oil. On rare occasions though, eggs and butter may be used, either to make the dough or to glaze the top. Although, they really aren’t needed and any traditional Italian recipe will prove this.

What is the secret to great focaccia?

If you have the time, your focaccia will massively benefit from a long rise overnight in the fridge. This extra time will make your focaccia really airy and light. It will also allow the flavour to develop!

How do you eat focaccia?

There are many delicious ways to eat focaccia:

• With dips: The best way to eat focaccia in my opinion is with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip. You can get inventive with your own dips.
• As it is: Just tear off chunks of freshly baked focaccia and enjoy the amazing taste of the oily bread and toppings on their own.
• As a sandwich: Slice it lengthways and fill it with vegan mayonnaise and your favourite fake meats to make an Italian sandwich.
• As a side dish: Dunk it into your favourite soup or stew. Or serve it as a side to a tasty pasta dish, like this creamy mushroom pasta.

Focaccia troubleshooting

Breadmaking can be tricky to get right and focaccia is no different. Plus, if you are looking to make your own changes to this vegan spelt focaccia recipe, you may want to look at these troubleshooting points.

Can I use white bread flour instead of spelt flour?

Spelt is an ancient grain which hasn’t been tampered with, like most white flour. This means it is more gentle on the stomach, and I believe, much tastier! It has a beautiful earthy nuttiness to it.

However, spelt flour isn’t always the easiest to get hold of and maybe you prefer the taste of white bread flour. In which case, yes you can indeed sub the spelt flour like for like with white bread flour. The dough will end up lighter and fluffier, but the taste won’t have the same depth.

Why is my focaccia not fluffy?

Dense flat bread means that there hasn’t been any gluten formation during the dough-making process. If this has happened to your focaccia then you may need to knead the dough for a little longer, or it could benefit from a longer rise. Try keeping the dough in the fridge overnight before baking the dough to give it a better chance of rising effectively.

Why isn’t my focaccia crispy?

Crispy focaccia is a result of a very hot oven and a lot of oil inside the dough. So you need to make sure that you are putting your dough into a hot oven to cook and don’t scrimp on the oil!

Can I make my focaccia gluten-free?

You can indeed make this focaccia recipe using gluten-free flour. Although it won’t have the same airy fluffiness that you get from using gluten-based flours.

I have actually tried out a gluten-free version by subbing the spelt flour in this recipe like-for-like with Doves Freee White Bread Flour. The result was incredible when you consider how dry most gluten-free bread is. So, definitely give it a go if you need to eat gluten-free!

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Other bread recipes

Did you enjoy my vegan focaccia recipe? Then make sure to check out my other bread recipes.