Socca. . . the incredible 4 ingredient flatbread. Well, the number of ingredients is up for debate since these 4 ingredients include oil, water, and a pinch of salt. Regardless, it’s an incredibly easy to make, nutrient dense, protein and fiber rich, whole food recipe that happens to be naturally gluten free and vegan too. Socca originates from Nice, France.
Socca is so versatile that it was actually quite difficult to nail down a “recipe” for it. Essentially, socca is a 1 to 1 mixture of chickpea (aka garbanzo bean flour) and water with a little oil and a pinch of salt. You can thin the batter to make it more crepe-like or use less water for a thicker flatbread. It can be made in the oven, under the broiler, or on the stove-top. You can even swap half the chickpea flour for brown rice flour (my Mom’s personal preference) or millet flour or wheat flour (obviously non-GF) for a different flavor and texture.
Socca makes a great pizza crust, flatbread, bread for dipping, naan, tortilla, pita, etc. Add some herbs, spices, or crushed garlic to the batter if you feel inclined.
Seriously, it’s time you tried socca. Here’s the recipe:
Socca
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil (plus 1 tablespoon for cooking)
1 cup water
1 cup chickpea flour (also known as garbanzo bean flour)
½ teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Whisk together all ingredients and set aside. If you have time, let the batter sit for about 30 minutes to allow the flour to soak up the water. If not, it’s works without soaking time too.
- Cook using one of the three methods below.
- Slice socca and serve warm.
Stove-top: Heat a 10” cast iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, lightly coat with oil. Pour half of batter in pan and rotate to cover the bottom of pan. Cook for about 3 minutes or until edges become firm and dry. Flip, cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the other side. Remove from heat and continue with remaining batter.
Bake in oven: Put skillet or baking sheet lined with parchment in the oven. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Once oven reaches 450, remove skillet, coat with oil, pour batter, and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or until flatbread is firm. If you want, broil briefly once baked.
Broil: Move oven rack to 6 inches below broiler. Put skillet in the oven. Turn oven temperature to “low-broil” or “broil”. Remove skillet, coat with oil, pour batter, and broil for about 3 to 5 minutes or until flatbread is browned and blistered on top, firm at edges but still flexible in the middle.
Notes:
- This recipe can be easily multiplied for the number of people you are serving and how you’re serving it (ie. pizza crust, flatbread, bread for dipping, naan, tortilla, pita, etc).
- Add in any seasonings you’d like to spice up the batter like minced garlic, chopped herbs, or spices.
- This recipe adapted from: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-socca-a-naturally-gluten-free-chickpea-flatbread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-169513
- If you’re looking for chickpea flour, keep your eyes open for garbanzo bean flour as they are the same thing. Bob’s Red Mill sells packaged chickpea flour in many locations including grocery stores and natural food stores or co-ops. My go-to source for chickpea flour (and many other flours, nuts, seeds, etc.) is nuts.com.
Nutrition Information:
Recipe serves 4. Per serving: 119 calories, 5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 307mg sodium, 13g total carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 5g protein,15% DV calcium, 6% iron.
