What is Socca?

Have you also heard of socca and wondered what it is?

Socca is a simple side dish to salads, vegetables, or meat and fish.

It goes especially well with salade niçoise.

It is made from chickpea flour, olive oil, salt, and water. From it, you make a thin dough. This is then baked in the oven on a well-oiled, flat tray. Or even better, in a wood-fired oven.

This bread substitute originally comes from Italy, more precisely from Genoa

There it is called farinata. You may as well find it in Sardinia or Sicily.

Similar thin dough patties can be found in North Africa and in South America.

Or in Provence, especially around Nice, where they are called socca.

At the market in Antibes, there is even a market stall with a mobile wood-burning oven. There the socca is freshly prepared and you can enjoy it still warm.

Generally, it’s best fresh, still warm

If you want to make it yourself, there are some points to keep in mind:

• The dough must be thin and flow easily
• After mixing the dough, let it rest for at least half an hour so that the flour and water can combine well
• Choose the baking tray so that the dough is only about 0.2 – 0.5 cm thick
• The baking tray must be well oiled
• The dough is baked at a high temperature (200°C – 220°C)
• The socca is ready when it’s golden brown. This is after 5 – 10 minutes

Of course, you can season it to your taste

Since the dough is rather neutral, you can use your imagination with seasoning.

Cumin, pepper, and paprika usually fit very well, just like certain herbs like Herbes de Provence, thyme, or oregano. You can either work the spices directly into the dough, or you can refine it with them after baking.

Try it – it’s very easy!

Here is the recipe for a round baking pan of about 25 cm diameter: