The little focaccias I've been making instead of turning on the oven

I’m still in the south of France, still trying to survive the 80°F (27°C) at midnight. The oven has not been switched on since July.

But bread! Real, soft, sandwich-worthy bread is non-negotiable. So I’ve been making these instead: small gluten-free focaccias cooked entirely in a pan. They puff up, they get golden on both sides, and they taste exactly like the real thing. My partner came into the kitchen asking if I was making focaccia, just from the smell.

I make a batch of them when I need to make a sandwich or even to serve with an aperitivo. Slice them in half for sandwiches, or make the smaller version (sixteen pieces) for an aperitivo spread.

A simple yeasted gluten-free dough built on brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and corn starch, bound with psyllium husks. As we know, the psyllium does the work that gluten would do: it forms a gel with the water that gives the dough structure and keeps the focaccias soft inside.

• Brown rice flour (or white rice flour) 1 cup (150 g)

• Tapioca starch (or potato starch) ¾ cup (100 g)

• Corn starch 6 tbsp (50g)

• Psyllium husks 2 tbsp ( 15g)

• Lukewarm water 1,5 cups (350 g) - reduce by 2 tbsp if using white rice flour

• Dry yeast ½ tsp (3 g)

• Fine salt 1 tsp (5 g)

• Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp

• Plus a little extra olive oil and fresh rosemary to brush on top (optional but worth it)

• Honey / sugar to activate the yeast

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water with a drop of honey or sugar. Let it activate for 5 minutes. Add the psyllium husks to the same bowl and stir. Leave for a few minutes until it thickens into a gel.

Add all the flours and the salt and mix with a spoon until a dough forms. Add the olive oil last and mix until incorporated. Shape into a rough ball, cover, and leave to rise for about 2 hours (depending on how warm your kitchen is, it might move faster. You’re looking for the dough to look slightly puffy, not necessarily doubled).

Transfer the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Divide it into 8 pieces for sandwich size, or 16 for appetizers size. The key here is to handle it gently, don’t squeeze or knead. Use a greased knife to cut the portions, then flatten each piece lightly with your hands.

Cook in a non-stick pan over low to medium heat, with some corn or rice flour on the bottom, leaving space between each focaccia. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes, then flip and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.

Leave them to cool completely before slicing, they firm up as they cool and slice much more cleanly.

While still hot, brush with a little olive oil mixed with finely chopped rosemary. This step is optional but it takes them somewhere else entirely.

• The difference between wholegrain and fine white rice flour is mostly in the water quantity (2 tbsp less for the finer flour) and a slightly lighter texture. Both work well.

• The greased knife trick is genuinely useful: it stops the dough from sticking and tearing as you portion it.

• If your pan is small, cook in batches. Don’t crowd them or the steam can’t circulate properly and the texture suffers.

• They are best enjoyed on the same day.

I'm going on vacation for two weeks, heading up to the mountains in search of some actual fresh air. By the time I'm back, hopefully the temperatures will have dropped enough to switch the oven on again.

With love,
Marta