This is as close as a gluten-free baker can get to classic Foccacia Bread. It is aromatic, soft and loaded with buttery flavor.

by Chef Tina Martini, The Medicine Chef 

The dough is going to feel very wet. Don’t worry—it will bake up light and fluffy. Resist the temptation to add more flour as this will make the bread heavy and dense. Unlike conventional yeast baking, you don’t have to knead G-F dough. Let the yeast do the work for you! This makes a great bread for sliders, too. Just cut to size.

Ingredients

• 2 tsps Dry Yeast
• 1/4 c Honey or Agave
• 1 c Warm Water
• 2 3/4 c All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour (Mama’s Almond Blend or Bob’s Red Mill yield the best results)
• 1 3/4 tsp Chia Seeds
• 1 Tbls Boiling Water
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 2 Tbls Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbls Fresh Chives, chopped
• 1 lg Egg
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tbls Butter, melted

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve honey in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top. Set aside to bloom.
2. In another small bowl, mix chia with hot water and set aside. The chia will “bloom” and turn to gel. When it does, whisk it into a slurry.
3. Lightly oil a 9″ cake pan and set aside.
4. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, or use your stand mixer. Mix for 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined.
5. Pour the dough into the oiled cake pan. Use damp fingertips to smooth the surface, if necessary.
6. Cover with a light, dry, kitchen towel and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. I usually preheat my oven on the lowest setting and then turn it off to turn it into a very nice proofing box.
7. Bake the bread at 400 degrees for approximately 26 minutes. The loaf should be golden on the entire dome and crisp to the touch on the very top.
8. Remove from oven and brush with additional melted butter, if desired.

Tasty Tip-Use any combination of herbs, cheeses and/or veggies to create your signature foccacia. One of my favorite variations: add fresh rosemary and parmesan cheese and replace both the butter in the recipe and the topping with olive oil. Molto Bene!

Phyto Facts-Gluten-Free is the biggest trend the food industry has ever seen! What is gluten and why is it considered so bad? Gluten is the protein found in all grains. Sensitivity and intolerance to gluten in the form of either Celiac Disease, or an actual gluten allergy, is most evident when wheat, barley, triticale, spelt, kamut and rye are consumed. The gluten causes inflammation in the intestines, resulting in bloating and hardness in the abdomen. When the intestines are irritated in this way, the intestinal lining covers itself in mucus in an attempt to protect the body from being invaded by harmful bacteria. This is how malnutrition sets in. We absorb the nutrients from our food through the intestinal walls. When the intestines are constantly inflamed and coated with this mucus, only a very small amount of nutrients can get in. This is why Celiac is such a serious disease. Gluten-Free flours are made from different ingredients like garbanzo beans, coconut, almonds and wild rice. This changes the nutrition profile considerably. The only way to get all of the phytonutrients into our nutrition program is to constantly change it up!

Chia seeds are high in protein and are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. This is ancient Mayan food. The Mayans knew the power of “Delicious Medicine” and looked to nature to fortify and heal them.

Apple Cider Vinegar-where do I start? Apple cider vinegar is antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal. Try soaking your feet in warm water and apple cider vinegar to refresh them and stop foot odor. It will keep toenails fungus-free, too! Take one teaspoon of AC vinegar in a mug of luke-warm water to bring blood pressure down within twenty minutes. It relieves heartburn and acid reflux within minutes. It’s a natural toner for your skin and it makes hair very full and shiny when used as an after-shampoo rinse. One of the reasons ACV is so calming to the system overall is due to the high content of quercitin, a phytonutrient that reduces trauma in the bodily systems. Bragg Raw ACV is my favorite. The Bragg family has been teaching natural wellness for over 100 years. All of their products are made with our radiant health in mind.

by Chef Tina Martini, “The Medicine Chef” @MedicineChef | Facebook Chef Martini is an experienced, well-versed television personality with a successful and proven track record. She holds a doctorate from Bastyr University in Naturopathy and a Nutrition degree from San Diego State University. She mixes cooking with nutrition, fitness and wellness!