Socca or Farinata: Chickpea Flour Pancakes

Chickpea flour pancakes are called Farinata in Liguria, Socca in the South of France, Cecina in Tuscany, and Pannella in Sicily. This vegan, gluten-free, eggless chickpea crepe is simply made with chickpeas flour, water, and olive oil cooked over a wood fire. It is an ancient recipe that goes back to the Roman Empire and is now street food in many Mediterranean countries.

Jump to:

• How to eat it
• Cooking equipment
• How to make the chickpeas flour pancake
• Top tips
• Origins of chickpea flour pancake
• More appetizers from the South of France
• 📋Socca or Farinata: Chickpea Flour Pancakes

How to eat it

This chickpea flour pancake is very easy to make and requires only water and olive oil, no eggs or milk.

In the French and Italian Riviera, the Socca or Farinata is served on the street in markets or during festivals. It is served by itself warm just off the fire cut into strips or rolled as a thick crepe.

If you make it at home you can serve it with any type of sauce or dip, or use it as a wrap. If you want to be more adventurous you can mix some herbs in the batter to give them an extra flavor.

You can also use them as tortillas and fill them with veggies, meat, or cheese.

Even by themselves, they are a delicious vegan snack.

Cooking equipment

In the streets, a socca is cooked on large copper plates over an open fire. The heat is intense and the copper plate is a good heat conductor.

To make these chickpea pancakes in your regular oven, you need to set it at a very high temperature and use a good thermal conductor, exactly the same requirements as to make pizza in your kitchen oven.

I use the pizza stone plate from Brazilian Soapstone. It is different from other pizza stones as it has an edge and I can pour the Socca mix which is liquid, without spilling it. You can buy it online in the USA, but not in Europe.

An alternative and easier option is a cast iron pizza pan which is easier to find in shops.

They do make the difference, the heat from the stone or cast iron makes the dough cook evenly, including in the center, and gives the crust a nice crispy consistency. The same as if cooked in a wood oven.

Another alternative is to cook the Socca on the stovetop in a regular frying pan, the best would be a pan for crepes as the edges are lower and it is easier to turn them.

How to make the chickpeas flour pancake

1. Sift the salt in the chickpeas flour
2. Gradually add the water and the 2 tablespoon of olive oil
3. Cover with cling film  and let it rest overnight at room temperature
4. Oil the pizza stone plate or cast iron and put it into the hot oven at 430 F - 220C
5. Once the oven is hot take the hot pizza stone or cast iron out of the oven. Brush it again with olive oil and pour the chickpea batter in a thin layer like a crepe, just enough to cover the plate
6. Cook in the hot oven for 15 minutes
7. Remove from the pan and serve it immediately

Top tips

• The batter has to rest for 10 hours, so make it the day before and store it at room temperature.
• Mix the water gradually so you don't create lumps
• If you don't have a pizza stone with edges you can use a cast iron pan or a pan for crepes and fry it on the stovetop
• Make sure the oven and the pan are very hot and well greased before pouring in the chickpea batter
• Cut in slices or roll it to serve it

Origins of chickpea flour pancake

It seems that its origins are from the Roman Empire in Genova when a ship full of chickpeas flour and oil got caught in a storm and the flour got wet with seawater. Instead of throwing it away, since they did not have much more to eat, they let it dry in the sun.

The result was amazingly good!

This Socca or Farinata recipe was then improved in time by cooking it on fire.

More appetizers from the South of France

Other appetizers from the South of France that you can serve with chickpeas flour pancakes are:

• Pissaladiere
• Tapenade
• Aubergine caviar
• Pan bagnat

Also on the table but not from Provence Neapolitan Fried Pizza

If you are making these chickpea flour pancakes, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.