Italian Style Flatbread (Grain-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan)

Photo Credit: Matt Calabrese

Hell yes. That's all I can say about this recipe. It's from The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide Part 1 and it's one of my favorites. I developed it based on my recipe for yeast-free English muffins. Whenever I do a demo for a gluten-free baking class, I make this bread because I know it will be a hit. In fact, at my last demo, one woman came up to me and sheepishly asked if there was any left. She said she wanted more because it was the best bread she's ever tasted. I asked her if she was gluten-free and she told me she wasn't; she just came to the demo out of curiosity.

To me, that is the biggest compliment. It's one thing when someone who eats gluten-free likes my food, but when a gluten eater appreciates it... I get a little giddy.

I'm sharing this recipe with you today because I want to tell you about an awesome deal that Nuts.com has put together. Knowing how much we love their flours, they came up with a package deal for you. Order The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide Part 1 at Nuts.com, and you'll also receive millet flour, almond flour, and coconut flour to help you get started with your baking.

Nuts.com Gluten-Free Flour Bundle includes: 

• 1 copy of The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide Part 1

• 1 pound each of almond flour, coconut flour, and millet flour

At just $29.99, this is a great way to get started with baking your way to gluten-free freedom! Know anyone with a birthday coming up?

 

Italian-Style Flatbread (Grain-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan) Print Me

This flatbread is soft on the inside with a crunchy exterior. It can be sliced thin and served with hummus or cut into panini-size slices to make sandwiches. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, skip the savory filling and sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar before baking. 

Yield: One 12 x 14 inch rectangle 
Ingredients: 

Italian-Style Filling 
2 teaspoons olive oil 
¼ medium onion, diced (approximately ½ cup, diced) 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1/4 cup packed fresh basil, minced 
¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped (optional) 
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced

 

Flatbread: 
178 grams blanched almond flour (1 ½ lightly filled cups plus 3 tablespoons) 
112 grams tapioca starch (¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons) 
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum or guar gum 
4 teaspoons baking powder (grain free baking powder recipe) 
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt 
1 1/2 cups water 
¼ cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet (approximately 12 x 14 inches) and set aside. 
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté until just tender, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Take off heat and put in a small bowl. Stir in basil, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside.  
3. In a large bowl, whisk almond flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt.  
4. In a medium sized bowl, whisk water and ¼ cup of oil. Pour into dry ingredients, stirring constantly until evenly mixed.  
5. Stir in the onion, garlic, basil, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.  
6. Spoon the dough onto the middle of the cookie sheet. With the back of a spoon (I find wooden spoons work best), spread the dough until it almost reaches all four corners of the sheet. It should be about an inch thick, but no more. If it's too thick, it won't bake inside. It will be really sticky, but this is how it should be! Brush extra olive oil on the dough. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until it begins to get golden brown on top.  
7. Let cool, then cut into slices. You can cut larger slices to use as sandwich bread or smaller slices to use as dipping bread.

Best when eaten fresh from the oven, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for days or frozen for later use. 

Note: For those of you who can't or choose not to use xanthan or guar gum, I have tried over and over to make these gum free, but my normal ideas (flax, chia, or psyllium) aren't working. If you figure it out, please let me know! I'll be forever grateful!

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