Socca Bread

Vegan

Socca is a tasty flat bread and a staple on the French and Italian Rivieras. It is made from chickpea or gram flour, making it suitable for coeliacs and the wheat intolerant. Cheap, quick and easy, it’s a bit of a winner!

Serves:

2-4

Gluten free

No soya

Ingredients:

130g/ 4 1/2 oz chickpea or gram flour – available from large supermarkets; health food shops; delis and ethnic grocers.
3 tbsp virgin olive oil
200ml/7 fl oz warm water
1/2 tsp dried rosemary or 1 tbsp fresh, chopped – however, do experiment with other Mediterranean herbs such as oregano or thyme
1/ 2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vegan bouillon powder or crumbled stock cube
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (start with 1/ 2 a tsp and taste first – they use 2 tsp in traditional recipes, but this may be rather too hot for most tastes!)
Low-calorie oil spray

Optional
1 heaped tbsp black or green olives, chopped;
1 medium onion, very finely chopped

For a very thin bread, use a 50cm/20 inch pizza pan. For a slightly thicker bread, use a 28cm/11 inch dish. Non-stick pans are best.

Method:

1. Sift the chickpea flour into a large mixing bowl and add salt, pepper and baking powder. Don’t omit the sifting process – gram flour is often lumpier than wheat flour.

2. Gradually pour in the water, whisking well to avoid lumps.

3. Slowly mix in 2 tbsp of the olive oil (2 tbsp) and mix thoroughly until a runny batter has formed.

4. Add the rosemary and any of the options.

5. Cover and set aside while the oven heats up. It’s even better if you can do this a few hours beforehand, or overnight.

6. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/430ºF/Gas Mark 7-8.

7. Use pizza dish of your choice, squirted with a little oil spray.

8. If using larger dish with thinner socca, bake for 8-10 minutes or until bread firm and starting to brown.

9. If using smaller dish with thicker socca, cook for 10-12 minutes, as above.

10. Remove from oven, brush with remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and place back in the oven or under a hot grill. Cook until the top is golden brown and beginning to crisp up at the edges.

11. Serve hot and eat immediately.