Coca (Spanish Crusty Flatbread)
Buttery, flaky crust, simple toppings and very riffable, this is a great appetizer or a light dinner with a nice side salad.
Popular in Catalonia and other regions of Spain, this is best made with whatever fresh ingredients you have around.
Keeping up with the savory pastry trend, this is a fairly easy dough with two simple toppings (one requiring a little more time to roast veggies, but the other is literally chop and top), no frying, no folding, no drama.
Coca Crusty Flatbread
Dough
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
⅓ cup warm water (90-110*F)
⅓ cup olive oil
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Toppings
(these are two half recipes – double one or the other if you want to use just one topping)
Roasted Red Peppers and Tomatoes
2 bell peppers
2 medium tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Parsley & Chard
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, about 1 cup chopped
3 scallions, green parts only, sliced
6 large Swiss chard leaves, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Prepare the roasted peppers and tomatoes:
Preheat oven to 500*F. Brush the peppers and tomatoes with olive oil. Arrange on a parchment-lined sheet pan, and roast for at least 30, turning every 10 minutes, until skins blacken and vegetables are tender. Remove from the oven and place in a container with a lid to steam and cool for an hour.
To make the dough:
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the yeast mixture, olive oil, egg, salt, and ½ cup flour. Using a rubber spatula begin mixing the ingredients together, adding a little flour at a time until completely incorporated. Add the butter working it into the dough. Knead the dough until relatively smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Finish preparing the roasted peppers and tomatoes:
Once the peppers and tomatoes are done roasting, cut the peppers in half and remove stem and seeds. Slice the peppers or coarsely chop. Quarter tomatoes and squeeze them gently to remove most of the seeds. Set the peppers and tomatoes in a sieve and let drain for 10 minutes (to prevent a soggy crust). Transfer to a bowl and add garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil, toss to combine.
Prepare the Greens:
Combine the chopped parsley, scallions, and chard along with the salt and olive oil, toss to combine.
Finish the dough:
When the dough is ready, lightly oil a sheet pan (half-sheet pan will result in a rather thin crust, or a smaller pan will produce a thicker crust). Using your finger spread the dough evenly over the bottom and sides of the pan, forming a low rim around the edges. Pierce the dough with fork tines in several places to prevent bubbles from forming.
Top and Bake:
Distribute toppings evenly over each half of the dough-covered pan.
Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through.
Adapted from The Cuisines of Spain: Exploring Regional Home Cooking by Teresa Barrenechea
