Grow Your Own Focaccia Garden

Proof that everyone can grow a garden: sometimes it’s a focaccia garden. The theme for quarantine seems to be all things from scratch and all things comfort food: banana breads, sourdough breads and now, focaccia gardens. As a wannabe gardener, I had to try my hand at making a healthier homemade focaccia bread (gluten-free and keto-friendly!) that’s just as light and fluffy as you would expect. Option to turn yours into a garden with an adornment of herbs and veggies. Read on for the recipe and tips to make your own focaccia garden!

So what exactly is a focaccia garden?
It’s a garden landscape that you can create on the surface of your from-scratch focaccia bread. It’s an activity that’s part art project, part proof you can make bread from scratch in 30 minutes and all parts comfort food! Herbs and veggies are added just before baking to create a gorgeous, edible landscape. It’s a great activity with kids and a way to use up whatever you have on hand! Here are some suggestions for creating a scenic veggie landscape:

Flowers and Petals
–Grape or Cherry Tomatoes: slice vertically into equal parts to create petals. Alternatively, slice horizontally to create a circular petal or center for your flowers.
–Olives: similarly, pit and slice vertically into strips to create beautiful dark purple petals.
–Onions: slice vertically along the center to make stunning tulips.

Stems and Leaves
–Rosemary: this is the obvious choice to create long leafy stems with full sprigs of rosemary since it’s already called for in the recipe and complements the flavors nicely.
–Thyme: similar to rosemary, full sprigs of thyme can be used to create stems with more dainty rounded leaves. This herb also pairs well with rosemary.
–Zucchini: you can also thinly slice vertical strips of zucchini to create stems or leaves.

Other Scenery
–Bell Peppers: strips of bell peppers make a great option for creating rays of sunshine, with a circular yellow cherry tomato slice in the center.
–Olives: since olives pair really well with these flavors too, use additional olives to serve as pebbles or to create a stone pathway through your garden.

Really any thinly sliced, quick-cooking vegetable will work well for creating your garden landscape! Though, I’d suggest avoiding cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower unless you cut into very small florets since those veggies take longer to roast. And this bread, will bake up in just 30 minutes!

Let’s get to the bread! This bread is gluten-free and keto-friendly with a base of blanched almond flour that is unbelievably light and fluffy, while adding protein without the carbs! I use blanched almond flour, which is lighter in color, texture and flavor, but you can also use almond meal from whole almonds, the color will just be a bit darker (like the version that I made with the focaccia garden), texture a little more dense and flavor nuttier. Both are equally delightful, but I prefer the lighter and fluffier blanched version.

You also have some options on the “milk” to use: I’ve used 2% dairy milk, half and half, Greek yogurt or even unsweetened almond milk. The flavor will be richer with a heavier cream or yogurt. If using Greek yogurt, use the full fat kind and thin with water (I used 1/2 C of Greek yogurt and 1/2 C of water mixed together).

Any way you make it, this versatile, easy and healthier version of focaccia will become your new weekend addiction! Feel free to share photos of your focaccia gardens and any other tips for veggie and herb landscaping that I’ve missed!

Gluten-Free and Keto-Friendly Focaccia Bread…with Optional Garden Landscaping!
Makes: 1 loaf (12-16 squares)
Ingredients: 
Dough
– 3 C almond flour
– 2 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 tsp xanthum gum
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 4 egg whites (room temp)
– 1 C milk (half and half, 2%, unsweetened nut milk or yogurt*)
Drizzle
– 1/4 C olive oil
– 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
– 1 tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp pepper
Optional 
– veggies and herbs to create a garden landscape

Directions:
Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×12 glass baking dish with parchment paper and spray with olive oil cooking spray.
Step 2: Mix together the drizzle ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Mix together the dry dough ingredients in a medium bowl. Fold in the milk to create a dough.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then, carefully fold the egg whites into the dough, being careful not to over mix.
Step 5: Pour the dough into the parchment-lined baking dish, spreading evenly and gently. Then, dip your finger in the rosemary drizzle and poke holes across the entirety of the bread, dipping your finger each time. I poke holes in even rows. With the remaining drizzle, pour evenly across the bread.
Step 6: If creating a focaccia garden, now is the time to layer on your landscape! If not, skip ahead.
Step 7: Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges become golden and a toothpick or spaghetti strand comes out clean. Allow to cool, slice and enjoy!