Farinata di ceci - Flat Chickpea Bread with Rosemary

The Ligurian farinata, also know as cecina in Tuscany, is a thin and crispy flat bread, made of chickpea flour, water and oil. You eat it piping hot with chopped rosemary in Liguria and a simple twist of the pepper mill in Tuscany. 

I bought the special teglia for  farinata, a tin-lined copper pan, which makes this delicious flat bread crispy outside and soft inside. It is such a beautiful tool that I also use it to serve my farinata in it. However, a heavy-bottomed frying pan with ovenproof handles will work just as well.

In London, it is difficult to find the Italian chickpea flour, while the popular gram flour (made of a different chickpea variety) has a different taste and consistency. So I make my own one by grinding the chickpeas in my powerful blender. It works perfectly.  

It is essential to leave the batter to rest for at least two hours before pouring it over the pan.

Farinata di ceci
Flat Chickpea Bread with Rosemary

700 ml warm water
250 g chickpea flour
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil

Makes 2 farinata, 30 cm diameter each
Preparation time: 5 minutes plus 2 hours resting
Cooking time: 20  minutes for each farinata

1. Fill a large bowl with water and slowly add the chickpeas flour whisking it into a smooth batter. 

2. Cover with a cloth and leave to rest at room temperature for at least two hours. The batter will slightly thicken. 

3. Preheat a fan oven to 220°C. 

4. Skim the foam from the surface of the batter and stir in 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of oil. Blend with a whisk. 

5. Brush a heavy-bottomed round pan with  1 tablespoon of oil. 

6. Pour half of the batter over the pan. 

7. Drizzle with one tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of rosemary. 

8. Bake for 20 minutes, until the surface turns a deep golden colour, and the edges set. 

9. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for few minutes before transferring onto a cutting board.

10. Season with freshly ground black pepper, cut into wedges and serve. 

11. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make the second farinata.