Socca Niçoise (French Chickpea Flour Flatbread)

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Socca nicoise is a chickpea-flour flatbread from Nice, France, made by whisking chickpea flour with water, olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary, then baking the thin batter in a preheated oven-safe pan at 220 degrees Celsius for twelve to fifteen minutes.

Resting the batter for ten minutes allows the flour to hydrate fully, which produces the characteristic texture - crisp and almost shatteringly crunchy at the edges, soft and slightly custardy in the center. The pan must be fully preheated and generously oiled so the batter sizzles on contact and releases cleanly. Sliced red onion and halved cherry tomatoes placed on top before baking lose their moisture in the oven and concentrate into sweet, slightly charred toppings. A final grind of coarse black pepper emphasizes the nutty, earthy flavor of the chickpea base.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
Chickpea Flour	180	g
Water	300	ml
Olive Oil	3	tbsp
Salt	1	tsp
Black Pepper	0.5	tsp
Rosemary	1	tsp
Red Onion	60	g
Cherry Tomatoes	120	g

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Season

Mix 180 g chickpea flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl.

Add the 300 ml water gradually while whisking, keeping the batter smooth and loose with no dry pockets.
2

Heat

Whisk in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon rosemary until the oil no longer floats on top.

Rest the batter for 10 minutes so the chickpea flour hydrates and the center bakes tender instead of dry.
3

Control

Heat the oven to 220°C.

Thinly slice the red onion and halve the cherry tomatoes, then place an oven-safe pan over high heat until the surface is fully hot, which helps the socca release cleanly.
4

Step

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the hot pan and let it shimmer and sizzle.

Pour in the batter in a thin layer, then tilt the pan right away so it spreads evenly.
5

Heat

Scatter 60 g red onion and 120 g cherry tomatoes over the batter without piling them up.

Keep the vegetables spread out so their moisture can cook off and the flatbread does not turn soggy in spots.
6

Finish

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove it when the edges are deeply crisp and the center is just set and slightly tender, then finish with more black pepper and serve warm.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Rested batter poured into sizzling preheated oil gives socca nicoise its crisp edge and chewy, nutty center.
Finish cue: Remove it when the edges are deeply crisp and the center is just set and slightly tender, then finish with more black pepper and serve warm.
Avoid this: Keep the vegetables spread out so their moisture can cook off and the flatbread does not turn soggy in spots.