🇮🇹 Italian · Bread
🫓 Farinata di Ceci
Farinata
A thin, baked Genoese flatbread made simply from chickpea flour, water, and olive oil, cooked in a wide copper pan until the edges turn crisp and blistered.
Farinata's simplicity is deceptive — just three ingredients, but achieving the right balance of a custardy interior and crisp, blistered edge depends heavily on a traditional wide, shallow copper pan and a very hot oven.
Ingredients
Equipment: Wide, shallow baking pan (traditionally copper), Whisk
- 250 g (2 cups) chickpea flour
- 750 ml (3 cups) water
- 10 g (1¾ tsp) salt
- 100 ml (scant ½ cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Whisk the chickpea flour into the water gradually, working out any lumps.
- Whisk in the salt and let the batter rest, uncovered, at room temperature for at least 2 hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Preheat the oven to its highest setting, ideally with a pizza stone if available.
- Generously oil a wide, shallow baking pan and pour in a portion of the batter to a thickness of about 5mm.
- Drizzle a little more olive oil over the surface.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes until the edges turn deeply golden and crisp and the surface is set with some blistering.
- Season generously with black pepper.
- Cut into wedges and serve immediately while hot.
Chef Tips
- Letting the batter rest for the full time helps the chickpea flour hydrate properly and improves the final texture.
- A very hot oven is essential for achieving the characteristic crisp, blistered edges.
- A wide, shallow pan produces a thin, properly textured farinata — a deep pan will give an entirely different, less traditional result.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing the resting time, which can leave a grainy rather than smooth texture.
- Making the layer too thick, resulting in a dense, custardy result rather than the traditional thin, crisp-edged farinata.
- Using an oven that isn't hot enough, leaving the farinata pale and soft rather than properly golden and crisp.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Chickpea flour provides plant-based protein and fiber, and the dish is naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Cultural Note
Farinata is a beloved Genoese street food, sold in dedicated farinata shops throughout the city, often eaten as a quick snack folded into a piece of focaccia.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Best eaten fresh and hot; does not hold or reheat particularly well.
Reheating: Reheat briefly in a hot oven to help re-crisp.
Serve with: A glass of Ligurian white wine, As a snack on its own