This Low FODMAP Grape and Rosemary Focaccia is simple to make, taking advantage of instant yeast, which is easy to use. This flat, chewy focaccia is topped with olive oil, savory rosemary and sweet juicy grapes with the crunch of large flake salt, such as Maldon.
Low FODMAP Yeast Breads
When Robin and I owned our bakery, Harvest Moon, we had another baker in the kitchen with me and his job was all of the yeast breads and laminated breads. I concentrated on the cookies, brownies, scones, cakes and tarts. One has to know their area of expertise and the yeast world has never been my focus.
A few years ago (seems like yesterday) I picked up the Spring 2017 copy of Sift magazine. This is the now defunct magazine put out by the folks at King Arthur. The issue showcased a gluten-free focaccia by Aran Goyoaga that looked quite appealing and the idea of being able to make a savory yeast bread without too much time and effort appealed to me.
So here I am in April and May 2020 and we are in the midst of a COVID-19 quarantine. Yeast has become a hot commodity, often being out of stock at the markets. Folks are baking bread like crazy, if social media is any indication, and some folks, like me, are lucky enough to have yeast in our homes.
Any which way, if you are reading this while you are cooped up at home or if you are looking for an easy yeast bread to make, this Low FODMAP Grape and Rosemary Focaccia is a great choice.
Flour Choice & Xanthan Gum
This bread was tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour and works quite well with it. This flour blend includes xanthan gum and we have also added additional xanthan gum, as it is needed for the right “chew” and texture.
Please review our article, Choosing A Low FODMAP All-Purpose Flour, and also our article on xanthan gum.
Choose Your Fruit & Herbs
This recipe features grapes and rosemary. You do have options. You could use any color grapes. You could use raspberries or blueberries. Thyme is a great option, as is marjoram.
Fresh herbs are best, but again, when I made this we were sheltering in place and dried worked just fine.
Play around, keeping low FODMAP of course, and use your cooking know-how. For instance, strawberries exude too much juice for this application.
Blackberries would work well from a baking perspective. Use them if you tolerate them. Monash and FODMAP Friendly report very different lab results for this fruit. Blackberries: Blackberries have been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. The Monash lab results state that 1 small berry at 4g is Green Light low FODMAP. FODMAP Friendly has lab tested blackberries and gives them a “Pass” at 1 cup (150 g). This is obviously a huge discrepancy. Eat to your tolerance.
Ingredients For Low FODMAP Grape and Rosemary Focaccia
Note that this recipe does use instant yeast and also calls for a small amount of honey. Don’t worry! Small amounts of honey are low FODMAP and our serving size of this bread is far below the threshold.
How To Make Low FODMAP Grape and Rosemary Focaccia
First prep your pan. I use a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan lined with parchment paper. Then brush it with some olive oil, along the bottom and the sides.
Whisk together the eggs, oil and honey. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. If they are cold, the honey will not dissolve very well.
Combine flour, yeast, some of the rosemary, salt, sugar, xanthan gum and black pepper in mixing bowl of stand mixer fitted.
Add the warm water and egg mixture and beat until it looks like a thick cake batter, as seen below. If you need a little extra water, use it!
Then the dough is ready to be patted into the prepared pan. Pat it in going all the way to the edges.
Then it is time to brush it with olive oil (seen above) and gently press the grapes into the surface, as seen below.
Sprinkle the surface with the rosemary and the coarse salt.
Bake until golden. In the image below you can see the parchment paper that was used to line the pan. Cool on a rack.
Now, you don’t want to cut it while hot, but it is delectable when just warm. Unmold from pan, place on a cutting board and cut into wedges. It is best enjoyed the day it is made.
Low FODMAP Grape and Rosemary Focaccia
This Low FODMAP Grape and Rosemary Focaccia is simple to make, taking advantage of instant yeast, which is easy to use. This flat, chewy focaccia is topped with olive oil, savory rosemary and sweet juicy grapes with the crunch of large flak salt, such as Maldon.
Ingredients:
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing pan
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 ¾ cups (399 g) low FODMAP gluten-free all-purpose flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
- 1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise, yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried or fresh rosemary, crushed with fingers, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm water, plus extra
- 1 cup (150 g) red or black grapes, or both
- Maldon flaky salt
Preparation:
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Line a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with parchment paper and use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of olive oil all over the bottom of the pan and the sides; set aside.
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Whisk together the egg, oil and honey in a small bowl. If your egg is cold the honey will resist becoming incorporated. Just make sure all three ingredients are mixed; set aside.
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Combine flour, yeast, 1 teaspoon rosemary, salt, sugar, xanthan gum and black pepper in mixing bowl of stand mixer fitted with flat paddle. Turn mixer on low to combine the dry mixture.
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With mixer running on low speed, add 1 cup (240 ml) warm water, then add the egg mixture. Turn mixer to a medium speed and beat until everything is well mixed and dough looks like very thick cake batter. Add more warm water if necessary, to achieve the right texture. I usually end up needing more than the initial 1 cup (240 ml).
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Scrape the dough into the prepared pan, oil your fingertips and press the dough out to fill the pan and level the top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour. The dough should look risen, puffy and about doubled in height.
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Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Remove plastic wrap from pan and brush the top of the focaccia gently and generously with extra olive oil. Press the grapes gently into the top of the dough, spaced out evenly. Sprinkle the focaccia with remaining rosemary and a generous amount of flaky salt.
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Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and place focaccia on rack directly for about 10 more minutes or until just warm. We highly recommend eating this Low FODMAP Gluten-Free Grape & Rosemary Focaccia slightly warm. Don’t miss this opportunity. You can also cool it to room temperature and store well wrapped for a few days in a cool room. It reheats well in a toaster oven.
Notes:
Tips
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Eggs: Eggs are high in protein and do not contain carbohydrates, according to Monash University.
- Grapes: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested grapes. FODMAP Friendly has tested green grapes and gives them a “Pass” at 24 grapes (100 g). Monash has tested black, green and red grapes and states that no FODMAPs were detected upon lab testing and set a serving size at 1 cup (150 g).
- Honey: Honey has been lab tested by both FODMAP Friendly and Monash University. FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Fail” at 2 teaspoons (15 g). Monash says that while clover honey specifically is only low FODMAP at ½ teaspoon (3 g), they state that honey is low FODMAP in 1 teaspoon (7 g) amounts.
- Oil: All pure oils are fats and contain no carbohydrates, therefore they contain no FODMAPs.
- Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is ¼ cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
