Rosemary Farinata: Ligurian Chickpea Flatbread
A thin, crisp-edged chickpea flatbread with rosemary and olive oil, naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Best for Plant protein and fiber from whole chickpea flour, with no refined grain
Farinata is the genius of the Italian Riviera: chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt, rested into a loose batter and blasted in a screaming-hot pan until the edges lace and the center stays custardy. It asks nothing of you but patience during the rest, and it rewards you with real legume protein and fiber in a bread that shatters at the rim and gives at the middle. I keep the rosemary generous and the black pepper coarse, because this is street food, not a diet compromise.
Ingredients
- 200 g Chickpea flour , sifted
- 600 ml water
- 60 ml olive oil , divided: 30 ml in batter, 30 ml for the pan
- 6 g fine sea salt
- 2 g fresh rosemary , leaves stripped and roughly chopped, about 2 tsp
- 1 g black pepper , to taste
- 2 g fine sea salt , for finishing (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
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1
Sift the chickpea flour into a large bowl. Whisk in the water in a slow stream to avoid lumps, then whisk in the fine sea salt and 30 ml of the olive oil until the batter is smooth and thin, about the consistency of light cream. Cover and rest at room temperature for at least 4 hours, ideally 8 to 12; this hydrates the flour and lets the raw legume edge mellow. During resting a layer of foam may rise to the surface.
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2
Skim off and discard the foam from the surface of the rested batter, then whisk once to recombine. Place a 28 to 30 cm cast-iron or heavy oven-safe skillet in the oven and preheat to 250 C (or as hot as your oven goes). The pan must be blazing hot before the batter goes in, or the farinata will steam instead of crisp.
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3
Carefully pull out the hot pan, add the remaining 30 ml olive oil and swirl to coat the base and sides. Pour in enough batter to form a layer 4 to 6 mm thick, tilting to spread evenly. Scatter over the chopped rosemary and coarse black pepper.
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4
Bake on the top shelf for 12 to 16 minutes, until the edges are deeply golden and lacy, the surface is set with brown blisters, and the center is just firm to the touch. For extra color, finish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Slide onto a board, finish with flaky salt, cut into wedges and eat hot while the edges are still crisp.