Tuscan chickpea flatbread
Socca, Farinata or Cecina? This chickpea flatbread seems to have as many names as origins.
Anyway, it's extremely delicious and really easy to make! It's thin, crispy and made of only water and chickpea flour. You can eat it just as it is or top it with sun dried tomatoes and olives!
The brilliant thing with this bread is that it is naturally gluten-free and completely vegan! If you want to make a double batch and make it a bit thicker, then it will be more like an oven pancake texture wise. Personally, I love to make it really thin and crispy!
INGREDIENTS
Time: 45 min. Yields: 8 pieces. Use: 26 cm pan or 10 inch pan
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil (plus 1-2 tbsp in the pan)
- pinch of dried rosemary, oregano or chili flakes (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- Turn the oven 230 °C or 450°F.
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl, stir thoroughly. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
- Put the (empty) pan in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Take out the pan and pour the batter in to the pan. Let it bake in the upper part of the oven for approximately: 7-10 minutes. (Put on the grill function on the oven for the last 2 minutes if you want it extra crisp on top .)
Really make sure you let the batter rest for 30 minutes. It's crucial because it takes some time for the flour to absorb the water properly.
Socca is great to eat entirely on its own, but you can also flavor/garnish it with marinated olives or thyme. If you want to eat it more like a light dinner, you can eat some socca slices with a simple green salad and ice-cold kombucha. Yummy right?!
One last tip, do not forget to open a window or turn on the oven fan on maximum speed when you do this, we´re trying to imitate something that is usually cooked in a smoky street kitchen, so be aware of the thick socca clouds!! :P