Farinata, Genovese Chickpea Flatbread

The original tasty Genovese Chickpea Flatbread Recipe, with all tips and tricks for baking the perfect farinata in the home oven.

Back from my beloved Genova, I was overwhelmed by a rush of old memories about the days spent with my best friends, about the scooter rides down Sant’Ilario hills, about the nights around the caruggi and the breakfasts with focaccia and farinata.

If you like Italian style focaccia, you must try this soft potato focaccia.

That’s why I decided to measure myself with the terrible farinata recipe.

Even if the recipe itself is quite simple, the baking could become a problem, because the oven temperature must be at least 230-250 °C and it should cook in the most homogeneous way.

Ingredients are those of the original Ligurian farinata, tips and tricks are those of the Genovese mum of a friend of mine, a person able to make a perfect farinata with her eyes closed.

So the result is guaranteed: a light, soft inside and crispy outside farinata.

Ingredients for 1 baking tray of farinata

Baking Tray Dimensions: 40×35 cm

• 750 g of water
• 250 g of chickpea flour
• 80 g extra virgin olive oil
• 10 g of fine sea salt
• Freshly black pepper, to serve

Preparation

How to prepare

Step I: the mixture (to be prepared from 4 to 6 hours before)

In a big bowl, whisk the chickpea flour with water until you have a liquid , homogeneous mixture.

Add salt and set aside at room temperature for at least 4-6 hours. The better if you store it in the fridge all night long.

Leaving the mixture to rest is really important because it lets the flour to absorb water and develop the dough.

Step II: baking the farinata

Preheat oven to 230-250 °C.

And now the going gets tough.

Pour oil into a non-stick baking tray and pour in the mixture too just before whisking it well, paying attention not to break the oil veil on the baking tray.

Now, with a spoon, try to whisk the two liquids from the outside inwards.

Traditionally, the farinata is baked into a typical copper pan and into a wood-fired oven, but you can preheat the oven to 230-250 °C and bake the farinata at the top level of the oven with the grill function on.

Finally, it’s important to choose a pan which is quite regular with no bumps or hollows.

Bake your farinata for 20-25 minutes leaving the grill on.

Remove from the oven, leave to rest for few minutes, sprinkle with fresh pepper.

Cut into serving pieces and serve hot. The best would be to eat your farinata with some Genovese focaccia, but that’s another story : )