Coca de Recapte: What It Is & How to Make Catalan Flatbread
What is Coca de Recapte?
Coca de Recapte, native to Catalonia, Barcelona, is a tasty flatbread garnished with meat, fish or roasted veggies. Similarly to savoury pastries, coca flatbreads are a basic part of Catalan cuisine. However, unlike pizza, the coca de recapte flatbread is crunchier and denser than a pizza dough recipe.
“Coca” means cake, and “Recapte” is food you take to make a meal away from home, similar to a picnic. Traditionally, Catalan people would take these cocas to-go, hence why the name stuck to this day.
A few Summers ago I discovered these coca flatbread on my last trip to Barcelona. We came across a Catalan restaurant in the Gothic Quarters. That is to say, it was the epitome of Catalan cuisine in my opinion. I’ve been dreaming of those cocas ever since!
Also, coca toppings are rich, decadent and very satisfying. Don’t shy away from topping your flatbread with, for instance, creamy cod, roasted eggplant or even caramelized onions. Also, the crispy dense coca dough nicely complements decadent flavours you decide to top it with.
As a result, I recreated the delicious coca flatbread that I enjoyed during my Spanish Summer trip. Finally, here’s a Mediterranean inspired coca that will bring you to Barthélona.
How to Make Catalan Flatbread
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup water
Toppings
- tomatoes
- Spicy peppers
- Kalamata olives
- Basil
- Fresh oregano
- Feta cheese
- Pine nuts (optional)
Vinaigrette (optional)
- 1 tbsp balsamic
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp honey
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
- Make a well in the center, and add the olive oil and yolk. Gradually add water while mixing the flour with a wooden spoon.
- Transfer dough onto floured surface and knead for about a minute until soft, smooth and elastic. If too sticky, sprinkle with more flour.
- Form into a ball and place into a large oiled bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and set aside for 30 min.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, flatten dough with fingers and form an oval shape of about 12” in length. Bake for 8 min.
- Remove flatbread from oven and cover the base of the dough with the feta, tomato slices, spicy peppers and olives. Bake for 20-25 min until crust is golden.
- For the vinaigrette, mix the balsamic, honey and salt well. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it emulsifies.
- When done baking, remove from oven, garnish with basil, oregano and pine nuts and drizzle with vinaigrette. I like to drizzle it with extra honey. You can also replace the vinaigrette with olive oil if you prefer. Enjoy!
What a fantastic recipe! Easy to follow and delicious. Thank you so much!