Keto Genoese Focaccia Bread (No Gluten, No Yeast). Each serving is just 122 calories and 1.6g carbs.
It’s super simple yet delicious. Of course it won’t have the same flavour and texture of an authentic, leavened, gluten-filled focaccia. But it’s a pretty good compromise. And since I tasted myriad Italian patisserie focacce in my pre-keto years, I can say, hand on heart, that it actually beats some of them.
ABOUT GENOESE FOCACCIA (Fugassa Genovese)
There are many regional variations of Italian focaccia. The original, and my favourite by far, is the Ligurian one. The dimples filled with extra virgin olive oil make it unctuous, crispy, and utterly exceptional.
If you ever visit the North-West of Italy and you don’t mind swaying away from keto for a day, I highly recommend you give the Genoese focaccia a try. You’ll find it in Artisan Bread Shops and Patisseries. But do remember to visit them early morning, just after the bakers have completed their daily batches and the display counters are being filled. The aroma alone will make you dizzy with sensorial ecstasy! Freshly baked, unpackaged items like bread, breadsticks, pizza, focaccia, etc. sell out quickly, so shopping for these late morning or afternoon will lead to fewer choices, if any are still available.
How to Make Keto Genoese Focaccia Bread (No Gluten, No Yeast)
For my ultra low carb version, I replace wheat flour with whey protein isolate, ground almonds and lupin flour. Combining these three achieves the most authentic, neutral flavour you’d expect from a focaccia.
The next trio of crucial ingredients are baking powder, baking soda and xanthan gum. They don’t deliver that gorgeous yeasted bread aroma we’re all familiar with, but they do a pretty good job.
The method is quick, easy and without the aid of any electrical equipment. It is simply a case of combining the dry ingredients, adding hot water and stirring. Yes. It IS that simple.
Authentic Genoese Focaccia doesn’t involve rosemary or other flavours/herbs. But hey, there’s nothing to stop you adding whatever you wish.
I find neutral-tasting bread more versatile, so I only add some fresh rosemary sprigs after baking, purely for presentation.
To create the characteristic Genoese dimples, you dip your finger tip in oil and quickly press down into the batter and release. This ‘dough’ doesn’t contain gluten and yeast, so it won’t be fluffy and elastic. Dip your finger tip in oil and press down, dip in oil and press down, repeat, repeat, repeat. Don’t be tempted to just drizzle oil all over, as the ‘dough’ won’t rise and may even remain raw at the bottom.
This focaccia is perfect for sandwiches, or to make cheese on toast. You could even cut it into strips to make egg ‘soldiers’ or to serve alongside dips. My tip? Drizzle more extra virgin olive oil over the baked slices or strips, and toast/grill for a few minutes. They’ll be wonderfully crispy and delicious.
Enjoy!
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Keto Genoese Focaccia Bread (No Gluten, No Yeast)
Ingredients
- 45 g whey protein isolate (U.S. option HERE)
- 50 g lupin flour (U.S. option HERE)
- 50 g ground almonds (U.S. option HERE)
- ½ tsp fine himalayan pink salt (U.S. option HERE)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum (U.S. option HERE)
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda (U.S. option HERE)
- 225 g water
- 10 g extra virgin olive oil (U.S. option HERE)
- fine himalayan pink salt
Instructions
- pre-heat oven to
170 °C static. - heat water until hot (not boiling).225 g water
- weigh and tip dry ingredients into a medium/large mixing bowl, combine thoroughly, then make a well in the centre and pour in the hot water.45 g whey protein isolate, 50 g lupin flour, 50 g ground almonds, ½ tsp fine himalayan pink salt, 1 tsp xanthan gum, 1.5 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda
- immediately stir with a fork, then mix using a flexible silicone spatula.
- spread the mixture over a lined 22cm x 32cm (8.5" x 12 5") baking tray; flatten with the spatula to a smooth, even surface, covering the whole tray; it helps to wet the spatula so it doesn't stick.
- pour the oil into small bowl, repeatedly dip finger into the oil and poke depressions throughout, then sprinkle generously with salt all over the top.10 g extra virgin olive oil, fine himalayan pink salt
- bake for 35 minutes; open oven door 45° and leave in situ for 5 minutes.
- remove from oven and allow the focaccia to cool completely, before flipping it over and peeling off the paper liner.
- cut into sections and store at room temperature (uncovered) until needed.
- best drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and grilled/toasted for a few minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Baked longer and came out slightly gooey. How do I correct?
Hi Mary, assuming that you didn’t change any of the ingredients, and you used the same size baking tray, this ‘bread’ should have turned out very dry. I’ve never had a gooey result, despite baking this regularly.
I suggest trying again, with 1/2 of each ingredient so as to minimise waste, using a baking tray 1/2 the size given in the recipe.
1) Measure everything in grams. Ensure that you use baking powder + baking soda, not just one or the other.
2) When you spread the batter over your lined baking tray, it should be like a very sticky and thick mousse, with visible air bubbles, and should be spread to a thin layer.
3) The oven needs to be pre-heated to 170°C static (340°F).
4) Once out of the oven, wait for the focaccia to cool and dry before you peel off the baking paper.
Providing you follow the above, there should be no gooeyness whatsoever.
You’re welcome to send me photos of the ‘batter’ when mixed in its bowl and also once spread over your baking tray and once you’ve created the olive oil depressions. Pictures might give me a visual clue as to what’s going wrong and enable me to help further.