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Farinata
Unleavened Bread
Appears in
By Antonio Carluccio and Priscilla Carluccio
Published 1997
The most ancient methods of making breads used just flour and water, with no raising agent. A wide range of flours, including those of wheat, rye and barley, can be used, but an old and unusual bread that is still made today in Piedmont and more particularly in Liguria, is based on chickpea flour.
The bread is made as follows: mix 1 part fine chickpea flour with 4 parts lukewarm water and a pinch of salt to make a very thin batter and leave to rest for about an hour. Sprinkle a baking tray with some very good extra-virgin olive oil and then pour in the mixture until it is about 2 cm (¾ inch) in depth. Stir the mixture in the tray to distribute the oil evenly and bake in an oven preheated to 230°C/450°F/gas 8, until golden brown. Farinata has to be eaten hot, cut into small squares and dusted with freshly ground black pepper.