Almond Flour Focaccia That’s Light, Fluffy, and Full of Rosemary

Light, fluffy almond flour focaccia is easier to make than you might think. This no-yeast focaccia uses almond flour, whipped egg whites, olive oil, and fresh rosemary to create crisp edges and a tender crumb without any rising time. It’s a gluten-free, low-carb bread that works just as well for a snack board as it does alongside soup or dinner.

A Different Way to Make Focaccia with Almond Flour

This focaccia started as a favor to a friend and turned into a full-on baking obsession. I don’t follow a low-carb diet, but a close friend does, and she was coming for dinner. I didn’t want her to miss out on fresh bread, so I went into my kitchen lab and… well, there were some spectacular flops before I got it right.

And by “flops,” I mean dense, sad slabs that never should’ve left the oven. But once I cracked the code? Oh, it was magic.

This rosemary focaccia is light, fluffy, and completely gluten-free thanks to almond flour and beaten egg whites. It looks like traditional focaccia with those little dimples of olive oil on top, but it’s got its own personality.

Not chewy like a yeast bread, but soft and tender with a hint of nuttiness that white flour just can’t give you. If you’ve ever tried my cheesy muffins made with almond flour, you’ll know almond flour works great in some baked goods.

If you’ve got a charcuterie spread planned or you just want something warm to dunk into chicken chili, this bread holds its own. And the best part? No yeast, no proofing, no waiting around.

A few key players you’ll need

You only need a handful of things to pull this off, but here are the heavy hitters. Check the recipe card for the exact measurements and the rest.

• Almond flour – not almond meal, the texture matters here.
• Egg whites – they’re what keep this bread light and airy.
• Fresh rosemary – you can swap in dried, just use less.
• Xanthan gum – this helps thicken the bread since this version is made without yeast
  

My quick tips

• Beat egg whites until they’re stiff enough to sit upside down on a spoon.
  
• Go slow folding them in – it’s worth it for the light texture.
  
• Use the best olive oil you can find; it makes all the difference.

This bread keeps for a couple of days at room temp, but I usually stash leftovers in the fridge and warm them in the toaster oven. It’s just as good the next day… assuming there’s any left.

Simple Steps

Step 1: Choose your topping

Combine a good quality olive oil with fresh rosemary or any other herbs and salt.

Step 2: Make the dough

Step 3: Beat egg whites

Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks.

Step 4: Fold

Step 5: Create dimples

The texture of the dough will be sticky and won’t feel like a yeast dough at all. The texture is more like a muffin batter.  When you poke your fingers in the top to give it the signature dimples, it won’t spring back like other dough.

My tip to get it as light as possible is to very gently fold in the egg whites.  Mine turned out a little better using a glass baking dish versus a metal one, but both will work.

I tried cheese on top of the focaccia bread and I thought it just covered up the great taste of the bread. My last goal was to try to make this dairy free, so I substituted almond milk for the regular milk, and it was a success.  

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.

Almond Flour Focaccia That’s Light, Fluffy, and Full of Rosemary

Author: Barbara Curry

Light, fluffy almond flour focaccia is easier to make than you might think. This no-yeast focaccia uses almond flour, whipped egg whites, olive oil, and fresh rosemary to create crisp edges and a tender crumb without any rising time. It’s a gluten-free, low-carb bread that works just as well for a snack board as it does alongside soup or dinner.

4.78 from 58 votes

Print Pin

PREP: 20 minutes minutes

COOK: 20 minutes minutes

TOTAL: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 16

Equipment

9 x 13 baking dish

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper

DOUGH

• ▢ 3 cups almond flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 egg whites room temp (5 ounces)
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk/almond milk

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400º. Line a 9 x 13 glass baking pan with parchment paper and spray with olive oil cooking spray.
• Combine the oil, rosemary and salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
• Add milk to flour mixture and stir to make a smooth batter, Gently fold in the egg whites, trying to keep it as light and fluffy as possible. The dough will be sticky.
• Place the dough in the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Dip your fingers into the olive oil mixture and make dimples in the dough. Pour the remaining olive oil over the dough.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Barbara’s Tips + Notes

• Beat the egg whites until they are very stiff. If you hold a spoonful upside down, they should stay on the spoon.
• Gently fold the egg whites into the very stiff dough. This may seem impossible, but be patient and use a rubber spatula to gently incorporate the egg whites into the dough.
• Bake in a glass baking dish if possible.
• Use a good quality olive oil to drizzle over the top, otherwise you can get an overpowering bitter taste. 
• Oregano is a good substitute if you don’t have rosemary.
• You can use the same recipe but use diced up pieces of bacon and cheddar cheese for another tasty Italian loaf.

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1mg

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