Gluten Free Socca

A cast iron frying pan with cooked socca cut in wedges.

Socca is a popular Mediterranean street-food. This naturally gluten free snack should be creamy in the center, not floppy when you pick it up, with crisp, brown edges. Gluten free cooks know how to make variations and even use it as a pizza base.

Course Baking, Bread, Rice Free Baking

Cuisine French, Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword cecina, chickpea flour flatbread, farinata, socca

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 18

Optional Resting Time 30

Total Time 53

Servings people

Calories 89kcal

Author Cinde Little

Ingredients

1 cup chickpea flour sifted
1¼ cups water
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
additional oil for frying

Garnish

olive oil good quality
sea salt flakes
rosemary, fresh or dried

Instructions

Measure chickpea flour, water, salt and olive oil in large bowl. Whisk until combined.
Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.*

OVEN METHOD: 15-18 minutes

Preheat oven and cast iron pan to 450°F.
Remove the pan, add olive oil and swirl to cover the entire bottom of the pan.
Pour in half the batter and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan, slightly coming up the sides.
Return pan to oven and cook socca until the edges are crisp and brown but not burnt, 15-18 minutes.
Repeat with remaining batter.

BROILER METHOD: 8-10 minutes

Heat pan on medium-high. When hot add olive oil and swirl to cover the entire bottom of the pan.
Pour in half the batter and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan, slightly coming up the sides. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Preheat oven on broil. Move pan to oven and broil until the top is brown and blistered, 5-7 minutes. Adjust rack if it browns too quickly or too slowly.

SERVING

Remove cooked socca to cutting board. Sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt and rosemary. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
Makes 1⅔ cups batter. Can easily be halved or doubled.

Notes

Perfectly cooked socca isn't difficult but takes a little practise. Find the method that works best for you.

Soft Pancake Socca - You can also cook socca on the stove or a griddle like you would cook pancakes or crepes. This makes for a super quick wrap or rolled pancake-style bread. For the blistered top try a combination of cooking socca on the stove and finishing it under the broiler.

Best Pan for Socca - Cast iron is ideal but don't skip this recipe if you don't have one. Try it with what you have and make it work.

Pan Size - I use two cast iron pans; a 10-inch and an 8-inch pan. I pour 1 cup of batter into the 10-inch pan and ⅔ cup into the 8-inch pan cooking all of the batter at once.

*I've made this recipe immediately after mixing the flour and water as well as letting the batter rest for 30 minutes. I can't tell the difference but the majority of recipes recommend this. You can also let the batter sit overnight then skim off the foam on top to decrease digestive gas.

Nutrition