Socca is one of those dishes that makes you rethink what bread even needs to be. In Nice, along the French Riviera, street vendors bake it in enormous copper pans over wood fire until the edges turn dark and crackly while the center stays custardy, then slice it into rough wedges and hand it over wrapped in paper, black pepper the only seasoning most vendors bother with.
The batter is just chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt, whisked together and left to rest so the flour fully hydrates, then poured into a screaming-hot oiled pan or skillet and baked or broiled until blistered.
No yeast, no kneading, no gluten at all, which makes it a good bread option for anyone avoiding wheat, though it is not a substitute so much as its own thing.
If you like the way Bolo do Caco (recipe on the site) makes a meal feel complete, socca plays a similar role at a Provençal table: something warm and starchy to tear apart with your hands.
It is a good summer recipe, since a hot skillet or a quick broil does the job without heating the kitchen for long. A scatter of flaky salt and a hard sear on the edges make all the difference.
Socca (Nicoise Chickpea Flatbread) Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour (also called besan or garbanzo bean flour)
- 1 cup water, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for the pan
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary or thyme, chopped (optional)
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, water, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt, and pepper until completely smooth with no lumps.
- Cover and let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours, to let the flour fully hydrate; this step is what keeps the finished bread from tasting grainy.
- Preheat the oven to 475 F (or heat the broiler) with a 10-inch cast iron or other oven-safe skillet inside to get very hot, at least 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the hot skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and swirl to coat. Pour in the batter; it should sizzle on contact.
- Bake or broil for 8 to 10 minutes, until the top is set, blistered, and browned in spots, and the edges have pulled away from the pan and turned crisp.
- Scatter with chopped herbs, if using, and flaky salt. Slice into wedges and serve immediately, while still hot and crisp at the edges.
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