Dairy Free Focaccia Bread

This dairy free focaccia bread is made from an Italian recipe. It is light, fluffy, and everything a focaccia should be.

Focaccia is an Italian flat bread and is an incredibly versatile food.  

It can be served as a main dish, an appetizer, table bread, as a side, a snack, and even used as sandwich bread.

It is often served with wine. However, when eaten for breakfast, it’s dipped in a cappuccino or milk.

In ancient Roman times, it was baked on the hearth which is where it derived its name.  

Focaccia in Latin was called "focacia," feminine of "focacius" which means from the hearth.

I have to admit, focaccia is one of my favorite breakfasts to have, particularly when I have friends over.

One of my favorite memories is of sitting and eating focaccia for breakfast with two roommates I was very close friends with.

We schmoozed, still in our pajamas, as we ate rectangular slices of bread dipped in garlic infused olive oil.

It was a great day.

If you like my dairy free Italian focaccia bread, you may also like my dairy free meatballs and my dairy free pasta sauce.

Or, you may like my dairy free pesto sauce or my dairy free Alfredo sauce.

History of Focaccia

In ancient times, Phoenicians and Greeks used cereal grain flours mixed with water and cooked over the fire to make focaccia.  

Supposedly, by Romans it was considered so prized a food, the flatbread was offered to the gods during celebrations.

In the Middle Ages , it was eaten during weddings, ceremonies, and even during funerals until a bishop of Genoa prohibited its consumption in the Church during his duties.

While in the Renaissance, it continued to be eaten at wedding banquets.

In the port area of ​​Genoa, street vendors made the bread in wood-burning ovens and sold it cheap, causing it to become a very popular street food. Over the years, it became the breakfast of the dock workers.

The original focaccia, as we know it today, was made from a dough composed mainly of about a pound of white flour, a pinch of salt, quite a bit of olive oil, and water as needed.

The dough was spread on a low and oiled baking sheet, the surface of the dough was dimpled by fingers, and a pinch of salt and a few drops of oil were sprinkled over it.

The pan was then placed inside a hot oven to cook until the surface became golden brown.  

Commercial yeast was not added, something like sourdough starter was used instead.

Types of Focaccia

Today, there are many varieties of focaccia, all stemming from different regions.  

Some sweet, but most are savory.

Toppings such as tomatoes, olives, or cheese are not uncommon.  In Tuscany, during the harvest season, it is even made with crushed grapes.

The most popular, however, is Genoese focaccia, focaccia with onions, and focaccia with rosemary and/or salt.

When you think of focaccia you are mostly likely thinking of Genoese focaccia.  This is actually true for many Italians too.

In fact, when I looked up focaccia recipes in Italian, all I saw were the Genoese version.  It is also where a number of variations originated.

It is light and airy, but no taller than about half an inch or a centimeter.

This recipe is a rosemary and coarse salt version.

If you'd like, you can leave the bread just brushed with oil and do whatever variation you prefer.

I also really enjoy dipping slices of it into olive oil with minced garlic.

How To Freeze Bread

Let bread cool completely.

Wrap each loaf tightly in plastic wrap and again in foil or freezer paper. Or, use a zip-top freezer bag with all of the air removed.

Freeze for up to 6 months. After that, the bread may become freezer burnt.

If you do leave bread in the freezer too long, and it becomes a little stale or slightly freezer burnt, don't throw it out.

Instead, you can use it to make dairy free French toast or dairy free croutons.

How to Defrost Bread

Defrost bread in the oven at 325°F or 163°C for 20 to 30 minutes, until soft and fully thawed in the middle.

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