How to Make Socca: A Traditional French Pancake (gluten free + vegan)

One of my favorite ways to get “bread” on the table fast is to make socca, the chickpea pancake that’s a classic in France. It’s fast, easy, and – in its simplest form – contains nothing but chickpea flour, water, oil, salt, and pepper. Here’s how to make socca!

Related: What do you do with chickpea flour?, How to Make Your Most Delicious Socca

You can find chickpea flour at health food stores and larger grocery chains or order it online. Bob’s Red Mill is a popular brand (look for their Garbanzo Bean Flour).

Socca is wonderful as an appetizer or as a savory, gluten-free “crepe” (try filling it with braised meats or veggie stews). It’s also great for breakfast with some jam.

How to Make Socca

make 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups room temperature water
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (plus more as needed)

Method

1. To make the batter, pour the water into a mixing bowl and sift the chickpea flour into it using a fine-mesh sieve or a sifter. Add the salt, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Whisk the mixture together, cover the bowl with a towel, and let the batter sit on the counter for at least 5 minutes and up to 12 hours.
2. For smaller pancakes, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pour 2-inch circles of batter into the pan and cook until small bubbles appear on the top of the pancakes and the bottoms are browned (1-2 minutes). Flip the pancakes and cook until the other side is browned (about a minute). Serve hot.
3. To make one large, more traditional pancake, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 12-inch oven-proof skillet or pizza pan. Bake the batter for about 15 minutes, or until the pancake is set. Heat the broiler, brush the top of the pancake with a bit more olive oil, and then set the socca a few inches away from the broiler until it browns a tad (1-2 minutes). Cut into wedges and serve hot.
4. To make the pesto socca pictured above, use the recipe in step 3, then top with homemade pesto and sliced fresh tomatoes.
5. To make fancier socca, add half of a small, thinly sliced sweet onion and one tablespoon of fresh rosemary to the batter before cooking.
6. For an Indian version of socca, add half of a small, thinly sliced onion, 1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger, 2-4 minced hot green chilies (such as jalapeno), 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of ground coriander, and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro to the batter.

Republished with permission from Eat Drink Better; photo credit: lobsteriffic1 via photopin cc