Farinata, Socca, or Cecina are all names for the same tasty, thin, unleavened bread made from chickpea flour. Different regions of the world have their own names for it, but no matter what you call it, it's one of the easiest, most delicious, and nutritious bread that you will ever eat!
Farinata (Socca) is made from chickpea flour, (garbanzo bean flour is the same thing) water, salt, olive oil, and some spices if you choose. Then poured into a very hot skillet and baked until crispy.
Those of you who follow along with my blog know that I love chickpea flour! It's inexpensive, easy to find, healthy, and delicious. Although I've used it for many years to make things like my chickpea bread and vegan omelets, I'm constantly finding new ways to use it. I love it so much that even wrote a whole blog post about all of the amazing things you can make with chickpea flour, but this Farinata recipe is one of my all-time favorites!
You will love Farinata because it's
- naturally gluten-free and vegan!
- made from a few simple ingredients.
- high in fiber and protein.
- an easy addition to any meal that can be whipped up in minutes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Ingredients Needed:
- Chickpea Flour - (Garbanzo bean flour is the same thing.) You can find it in the gluten-free or Bob's Red Mill section of most grocery stores.
- Water - to get the right amount of moisture.
- Olive Oil - for mixing in the batter and for oiling the skillet before baking. (You can use any other neutral-flavored oil if you choose).
- Salt - for flavor.
- Herbs- (optional) for flavor. I like to use rosemary for a focaccia flavored Socca. Italian herbs or even pesto are delicious in this bread.
Special Tools Needed:
- Iron Skillet - to bake the Farinata in. I use a 12-inch iron skillet, but a 10 inch will also work, it will just be a little thicker. You need a skillet that can be baked in the oven at high temperatures. Make sure that you don't use a non-stick skillet or a skillet with any plastic on it!
How to make classic Soccia, Farinata, or Cecina
- Mix chickpea flour, salt, and spices in a mixing bowl.
- Pour in 1/2 of the water and mix well until you have a smooth thick batter.
- Stir in the remaining water and mix well.
- Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and mix again until the oil is incorporated and you have a smooth thin batter, then let it sit while your oven heats up.
- Place an empty iron skillet in your oven and turn it on to 475° F.
- Once your oven reaches 475° F, carefully take out the skillet, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the bottom, and pour in your batter slowly in a circular motion to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.
- Bake at 475° F for 12 minutes, then set the oven to broil and broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the top crispy.
- Take out of the oven and cut into wedges and serve immediately. (You can sprinkle it with some coarse salt and some additional herbs if you like.)
Pro Tips
- Never taste the batter! Chickpea flour tastes absolutely terrible before it's cooked! Trust me, the taste changes into something magical, but you don't want to eat it raw or undercooked.
- Let the batter sit for at least 15 minutes before baking it. This will give the garbanzo bean flour time to soften and evenly absorb the water. ( I usually make the batter, then turn on the oven and preheat the skillet. By the time the oven and skillet are hot, the batter is ready). Many traditional recipes call for the batter to sit anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours before baking, however, I don't find it necessary to sit that long. I've done it both ways and haven't noticed a difference in the final product.
- Chickpea flour tends to be clumpy, so be sure to add the water slowly and stir out the clumps. If you do have clumps in your batter, let it sit for about 15 more minutes and stir it again.
- You can make the batter up to 1 day ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to bake it.
- Add the olive oil to the skillet just before you add the batter. If you let the olive oil heat up to 475 F in the skillet before adding the batter it will start to smoke since the smoke point of olive oil is about 410 F.
- Socca is best served hot out of the oven. It will lose it's crispiness if it sits around.
Variations
Foccacia - add 1 tsp of rosemary to the batter then sprinkle with additional rosemary and coarse salt.
Onion - add 3 tbsp of very finely chopped onions to the batter.
Garlic - add 3 cloves of minced garlic to the batter.
Spicy - add a 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle pepper, a 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, or few dashes of cayenne pepper.
Cheesy Vegan Socca - add 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast to the batter or sprinkle with vegan parmesan after it cooks.
Extra Crispy - bake the Socca batter in 2 batches so that it is 1/2 the thickness. This will make it super crispy and delicious!
You can pretty much add any herbs or spices that you would like to flavor this bread. I also make a similar yet thicker chickpea bread that is great for adding chopped vegetables to make flavors like broccoli cheese, sundried tomato, or artichoke chickpea bread.
Farinata (Socca) is great for eating plain or with things like pesto hummus or easy vegan spinach dip!
More chickpea flour recipes
Be sure to follow me on Instagram or Pinterest for daily vegan inspiration and recipe ideas! Tag me at #thehiddenveggies! I love to see what you made too!
A simple unleavened flatbread made from chickpea flour and cooked thin in a very hot oven. Depending on the region, it is referred to as Farinata, Socca, or Cecina.
- 1 1/4 cup chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon rosemary (or another herb of choice or leave it out)
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
-
Mix chickpea flour, salt, and spices in a mixing bowl.
-
Pour in 1/2 of the water and mix well until you have a smooth thick batter.
-
Stir in the remaining water and mix well.
-
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and mix again until the oil is incorporated and you have a smooth thin batter, then let it sit while your oven heats up.
-
Place an iron skillet in your oven and turn it on to 475° F.
-
Once your oven reaches 475° F, carefully take out the skillet, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the bottom, and pour in your batter slowly in a circular motion to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.
-
Bake at 475° for 12 minutes, then set the oven to broil and broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the top crispy.
-
Take out of the oven and cut into wedges and serve immediately. (You can sprinkle it with some coarse salt and some additional herbs if you like.)
- Never taste the batter! Chickpea flour tastes absolutely terrible before it's cooked! Trust me, the taste changes into something magical, but you don't want to eat it raw or undercooked.
- Let the batter sit for at least 15 minutes before baking it. This will give the garbanzo bean flour time to soften and evenly absorb the water. ( I usually make the batter, then turn on the oven and preheat the skillet. By the time the oven and skillet are hot, the batter is ready). Many traditional recipes call for the batter to sit anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours before baking, however, I don't find it necessary to sit that long. I've done it both ways and haven't noticed a difference in the final product.
- Chickpea flour tends to be clumpy, so be sure to add the water slowly and stir out the clumps. If you do have clumps in your batter let it sit for about 15 more minutes and stir it again.
- You can make the batter up to 1 day ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to bake it.
- Add the olive oil to the skillet just before you add the batter. If you let the olive oil heat up to 475° F in the skillet before adding the batter it will start to smoke since the smoke point of olive oil is about 410° F.
- Socca is best served hot out of the oven. It will lose it's crispiness if it sits around.
