Gluten-Free Christmas Tree Focaccia (with Caputo Fioreglut)

Name: Gluten-Free Christmas Tree Focaccia
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 520 g (4 cups) Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour; 12 g (about 4 teaspoons) instant yeast (make sure it's gluten-free); 12.5 g (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar; 12 g (2 teaspoons) kosher salt; 480 g (2 cups) warm water (120-130°F); 42 g (3 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil; 14 g (1 tablespoon) extra-virgin olive oil (for brushing the parchment and shaping the dough); 42 g (3 tablespoons) salted butter; 4 cloves garlic (minced); 42 g (3 tablespoons) olive oil; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved); 1 yellow bell pepper (for star and garland strips); 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt; 20 g (about 1/4 cup) shredded parmesan cheese; Additional chopped fresh parsley (for finishing)

Gluten-free Christmas tree focaccia on parchment-lined wood board with yellow pepper star and garland, cherry tomato ornaments, and parmesan cheese.

This gluten-free Christmas tree focaccia looks fancy, but it’s way easier than you’d think. If you can shape dough into a triangle, you can make this. The decorating part is actually the fun part, not the hard part.

This recipe is based on my gluten-free garlic butter focaccia, one of my most popular recipes. The only difference is we’re making it on a baking sheet instead of in a 9×13 pan, so it’s a bit thinner and easier to shape into a tree. Then we add bell peppers and cherry tomatoes to make it festive.

Everyone always thinks this took me hours, but start to finish it’s about 2 hours including rise time. Most of that is just waiting for the dough to rise. The actual hands-on work is maybe 20 minutes. It’s perfect for holiday parties because it looks impressive and feeds a crowd.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

It uses my tried-and-true focaccia dough. If you’ve made my regular gluten-free focaccia or garlic butter focaccia, you already know how foolproof this dough is. It’s the same recipe, just shaped differently.
Major wow factor with minimal effort. This looks like you spent all day in the kitchen, but the decorating takes maybe 10 minutes. Just press peppers and tomatoes into risen dough. That’s it.
Customizable decorations. Use whatever veggies you have – different colored peppers, olives, sun-dried tomatoes. Make it your own.

Searching for more gluten-free focaccia recipes? Gluten-Free Pumpkin Focaccia / Gluten-Free Focaccia Pizza / Gluten-Free Focaccia Pizza Muffins / Gluten-Free Blueberry Crumble Focaccia

Ingredients

TIP

Don’t panic when you see how sticky this dough is. Gluten-free focaccia dough is much wetter and stickier than regular bread dough. That’s exactly what makes it soft and fluffy instead of dense and crumbly. Oil your hands generously when shaping and resist the urge to add more flour. Trust the process.

Ingredient Notes

Caputo Fioreglut flour – You really need to use this specific flour. I’ve tried other gluten-free flours for focaccia and they just don’t work the same way. Caputo creates that soft, fluffy, almost-regular-bread texture that makes focaccia special. Important note: this flour contains gluten-free wheat starch, so it’s safe for people with celiac disease (like me) but not for people with wheat allergies. You can find it on Amazon or order from Brick Oven Baker – use code MEGAN for 10% off your order.
Olive oil – Focaccia uses a lot of olive oil and that’s what makes it so good. Don’t skimp on it or try to reduce the amount. The oil creates that crispy golden crust and keeps the inside soft and fluffy. Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil since you’ll really taste it.
Instant yeast – Make sure your yeast is labeled gluten-free. Most instant yeast is, but always check the package to be safe. The yeast should be fresh and not expired, or your dough won’t rise properly.
Warm water – Temperature matters here. If it’s too hot, you’ll kill the yeast. Use a thermometer if you have one, it should be about 120-130F. If not, the water should feel like a warm bath – hot but not uncomfortable to touch.
Yellow bell pepper – Yellow shows up best against the bread and looks most like Christmas lights or garland. You’ll use this for both the star tree topper and the curved garland strips. You can use red or orange if that’s what you have, but yellow is prettiest.
Cherry tomatoes – Use a mix of red and darker cherry tomatoes if you want variety in your “ornaments.” Green olives also look great as ornaments if you want to add those too. Pat them dry with paper towels before adding them to the dough, or they’ll make wet spots.

For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe, and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.

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Extreme closeup of gluten-free Christmas tree focaccia showing soft airy crumb texture and slice with yellow pepper decoration.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use a different gluten-free flour blend?

I really don’t recommend it. Caputo Fioreglut is specifically formulated for bread and it’s what makes this focaccia so soft and fluffy. Other blends usually produce dense, crumbly focaccia. If you want this to turn out right, use the Caputo.

Can I use different toppings for the decorations?

Absolutely. Use whatever veggies you have. Red bell peppers, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, or even fresh herbs arranged in a tree pattern would all work. Just make sure to pat wet ingredients dry first.

Expert Tips

Oil your hands generously when shaping. This dough is supposed to be sticky. Fighting it will just frustrate you. Coat your hands in olive oil and the dough becomes much easier to work with.
The pepper’s natural curve does the work. When you cut along the pepper’s ridges and pull the segments away, they’re already curved. You don’t need to try to bend them or shape them. Just lay them on the dough and they’ll look like draped garland.
Add the parmesan at the very end. If you add it before baking, it’ll brown and get crispy. Adding it after baking makes it look like fresh snow and it stays soft and melty.

Storage instructions

Room Temperature: If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container or wrap tightly in foil for up to 1-2 days. The texture will soften after the first day.

Freezer: For longer storage, wrap cooled focaccia slices in plastic wrap and foil, or place in a freezer bag. Freezing in smaller portions makes it easy to reheat only what you need. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then reheat in a 375°F oven for 5-10 minutes to revive the texture.

Reheating: Always reheat before serving to bring back some of that crisp exterior and soft, airy crumb.

Raw Christmas tree focaccia decorated with yellow pepper star and garland, cherry tomatoes, and fresh parsley ready to bake on sheet pan.

Serving suggestions

This focaccia is perfect as part of a holiday spread. Serve it alongside Gluten-Free Lasagna for an Italian feast, or Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew or Gluten-Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup for dipping. It’s also great with Spicy Meatballs and marinara, or on a holiday appetizer table with Bacon Wrapped Dates and a cheese board.