Rosemary Flatbread with Caramelized Onions

Rosemary Flatbread with Caramelized Onions

It was about a year and a half ago when I first went gluten and wheat free. It was part of a Brown Rice Cleanse, a kind of elimination diet. The original plan was for me to cleanse for two or three weeks, and then begin to re-introduce foods. The hope was to find out what had caused my chronic migraines. To date, I have successfully re-introduced just a handful of items, and found many along the way that I am allergic to, a lot of which cause anaphylaxis.

Surprisingly, one thing that I didn't miss at the beginning of my elimination diet was bread. Now this has changed, let me tell you. I catch myself daydreaming about crusty baguettes or toast with butter and jam.

Mmm...

Because of my elimination diet, I'm also not eating yeast or eggs, so this makes baking very difficult. I still can't make a successful loaf of bread, but I have created a delicious flat-bread that can be topped, or dipped, any number of ways.  I suggest topping it with caramelized onions or serve it with my Baked Artichoke Dip or Roasted Zucchini and Garlic Dip.

Rosemary Flatbread

2 cups/500 mls brown rice flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsps dried rosemary leaves
Pinch of ground pepper
1 cup/250 mls water
1/4 cup/60 mls olive oil or oil of your choice

Preheat oven to 400˚F/204˚C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease with a generous amount of oil. In a medium-sized bowl mix brown rice flour, rosemary, salt and pepper. Mix oil and water in a small bowl and add to dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or your fingers, stir until combined. The mixture will be like a wet dough or very thick batter. Using your hands or a spoon, drop the dough onto the baking sheet. With oiled fingers pat dough about 1 cm/0.39 inches thick. Bake on the bottom rack of your oven for 15-20 mins, or until the bottom is golden brown and bread is firm to the touch. Serve topped with caramelized onions (recipe below), your choice of toppings, or try it with my Baked Artichoke Dip or Roasted Zucchini and Garlic Dip.

Note: If you happen to be making my Onion Soup, reserve about 1/3 cup of your caramelized onions for the flatbread. Or use the recipe below:

Caramelized Onions

Caramelized Onions

4-5 medium onions
3-4 tbsps of olive oil, or oil of your choice
Salt and pepper to taste

Try to slice onions no more than 5mm/0.19in thick - the thinner they are sliced, the quicker they caramelize. Place onions and oil in a large, wide-bottomed pot. On medium heat, bring your onions to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the onions cook and begin to brown you will have to stir them more often so make sure to keep an eye on them. If you notice them starting to burn then turn down your heat. De-glaze your pan every once-in-a-while with some water, making sure to scrape off the caramelization from the bottom of your pan. To tell when your onions are done, look for a deep caramel colour, like the photo above. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the flatbread.

Notes:

- If you find your bread needs a little longer to cook, make sure to watch it carefully because it will burn very quickly.

Alterations:

- If you are grain-free but can eat legumes: I have made this bread with chickpea flour with decent success but the bread turns out a bit more dry. You may have to adjust the amount of liquid or oil to ensure your bread is moist enough. I have recently become allergic to chickpeas, or else I would figure out the measurements for you!

- You can use this bread for a pizza crust but I suggest that you pre-bake the crust almost until cooked. If not, you may end up with a soggy crust.

*Please Note* These recipes are part of my personal allergy diet. Please remember that everyone's allergies are different.  If you are unsure about any ingredients listed in these recipes please check with your doctor before introducing.