Gluten-Free Vegetarian Socca Pizza

Socca, or farinata, is a type of flatbread made from chickpea flour that originates from Genoa, Italy. It is incredibly easy to prepare and it requires only 3 ingredients for its most basic form: chickpea flour, water, and olive oil. Since it's made from chickpea flour, it is also gluten-free!

The best part? Its versatility! You can make it plain and eat it with your choice of spread; you can add herbs like rosemary for that fresh aroma; and finally, you can use it as a substitute for pizza crust, which is what this recipe is all about. Enjoy!

Batter (for 12" crust):

1 ⅛ cup chickpea flour

4 tbsp olive oil

1 cup water

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Pinch of salt

Toppings:

100g Feta cheese, crumbled

3/4 cup Mozzarella (or any type of pizza cheese), shredded

4-5 Cherry tomatoes, sliced

50g Sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup Mushrooms, sliced

1/2 Bell pepper, sliced

Fresh ground black pepper

Pizza sauce or tomato paste (optional)

Cooking oil spray

Tools:

12” cast iron pan or an oven-safe skillet

Small, non-stick frying pan

Mixing bowl

Spatulas

Cutting board

Knife

1. The batter for the crust is perfect for a skillet that measures 12" or 30cm. The quantities for the toppings are approximate as it comes to personal preference how loaded you want to make your pizza. Use your judgment based on how big your pan is and how much toppings you want.
2. Be extremely careful handling the skillet when it comes out of the oven. This is especially important if you use a cast iron pan: those things are heavy, they heat up fast, and they retain the heat for a long time. USE OVEN MITTS!

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dough ingredients and mix thoroughly, ensuring that there are no lumps in the batter. 

Tip: Add the finely chopped garlic at the end so that you will have an easier time seeing the flour lumps when mixing.

Leave the batter to rest for 45 minutes so that the flour absorbs the water.

Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, add a little olive oil and saute the sliced mushrooms and bell pepper until they’re soft.

Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). About 5-10 minutes before you are ready to pour in the batter, place the cast iron pan in the oven to heat up.

Carefully take the pan out of the oven and spray it with cooking oil. Pour in the batter and spread it evenly, then place the pan back in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the crust firms up (make sure it’s not burned around the edges.)

Now is the time to work quickly. Again, take out the pan very carefully and place it on the stove. Since this isn’t a traditional pizza, the sauce isn’t necessary, but if you want to add it, begin with that. After that, add the mushrooms, bell pepper, fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and the feta cheese. The shredded pizza cheese goes on last.

Tip: It is not recommended to cook tomatoes or tomato products directly in cast iron, so beware of spills.

Place the pan in the oven again for about 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Take out the pizza and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes, then gently take it out of the pan with a wooden spatula. Be extremely careful as the cast iron will be very hot and will stay that way for a while. If you move too slowly, the heat from the pan can even penetrate your oven mitts. The crust should separate easily from the pan, just be careful for the toppings to not fall off! Grind some black pepper to top it off. 

Tip: If you use a cast iron pan, plastic kitchen tools may melt upon contact with the hot surface.

Bon appétit! Let me know how you like this recipe in the comments. Cheers!