Farinata (Italian Chickpea Pancake) Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • The proper ratio of water to chickpea flour makes a very thin batter that cooks up into a custardy pancake.
  • Resting the batter allows the chickpea flour to fully hydrate.

The first time I tried the Italian chickpea pancake known asfarinata, I was completely stumped as to why anyone would want to eat such a thing. It was dense and dry and totally unpalatable. The second and third times I tried it, one of them again in the United States and the other in Italy from a vendor at a market in Turin, it was just as bad. After three terrible experiences, I concluded that farinata was a total waste of time, and decided to never go out of my way to eat it again.

Then one day about nine years ago I was working with my friend Piero at his family's vineyard in Strevi, a small village in the province of Alessandria in Piedmont, Italy, when he suggested we drive to a town called Acqui Terme, which he swore had one of the best versions of farinata around. Given my prior experiences, I wasn't expecting much, but it sounded like a fun excursion anyway, so off we went.

I'm so glad I did, because that day was the turning point in my understanding of farinata.

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As soon as we walked up to the counter of a little farinata shop and I saw a wood fire burning in a big oven and the heavy, wide copper pans used to bake the pancakes, I knew this was going to be different.

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The farinata we ate there wasn't dry at all. Instead it was soft and custardy in the center, with a lightly crisp and brown exterior. Rosemary leaves infused the whole thing with their woodsy pine flavor. I've been in love with farinata—at least, the good kind—ever since.

That farinata in Acqui Terme is one delicious leaf on a branching tree of Mediterranean chickpea pancakes, with roots in Liguria (which Alessandria borders) and branches extending as far as Nice, France, where it's known assocca. From what I've read in my Italian cookbooks, it dates back to Roman times, if not before, when chickpea flour was a more affordable alternative to wheat flour.

One thing that's great about chickpea flour is that it lacks gluten, so there's no risk of the pancake becoming dense and elastic from mixing—there's absolutely nothing you need to add to your farinata batter, aside from chickpea flour, water, and salt, to produce a wonderfully custardy texture. And because the chickpeas come loaded with plenty of their own flavor, which I'd describe as similar to green peas but without any sweetness, you don't have to do much to get delicious results. A little freshly ground black pepper and maybe some rosemary leaves and you're all set.

To make it, start with finely ground chickpea flour.

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Add water bit by bit while whisking to avoid lumps.

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Once you have a nice, smooth, lump-free batter, you can add the rest of the water.

The key to custardy farinata is to use the right ratio of water to chickpea flour: three to one by weight, respectively. You'll end up with a batter that looks very thin and watery: That's okay, it's what you want.

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Then you let it stand for about four hours or so, enough time for the flour to completely hydrate. A foam will form on the surface, so scrape that off with a spoon and discard it.

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When you're ready to cook the farinata, the first step is to crank the oven all the way up and let it preheat. Likecooking pizza, you need to get as close as you can to wood-burning oven temperatures (technically, you'll get nowhere close to those high temps, but we do what we can, right?).

If you have a pizza stone orbaking steel, you'll want to use it here. I set the oven rack on the second-highest position, and put my baking steel on it—it's going to help push heat up into the bottom of the farinata so that it crisps from below, as it would on the hot hearth floor of a pizza oven.

With the oven fully preheated, take awell seasoned cast iron skilletand put a generous amount of olive oil in it, enough to fill the skillet with an even layer about two millimeters thick. Then give the batter a good stir and pour it into the skillet; you want it about 1 centimeter deep, though there's some flexibility on the thickness of the pancake. The oil should mix with it, swirling on top and around the edge.

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Then add plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and, if you want, fresh rosemary leaves.

Now switch your oven to broil, and as soon as the broiler has kicked on, slide the skillet onto your pizza stone or baking steel and let it go until the farinata has set and is browned on top. You can crack the oven door open with a utensil to prevent the broiler from cycling off.

When it comes out, the farinata should no longer jiggle, though it's okay if it's still a tiny bit soft in the center, since it will set more as it cools slightly.

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It's best eaten while still warm, so once it's cooled enough and has set fully, cut it into sections and dig in. Done this way, there shouldn't be anything dry about it.

Farinata (Italian Chickpea Pancake) Recipe (9)

May 2015

This recipe was cross-tested in 2022 and lightly updated to guarantee best results. To account for variation in oven temperatures, we added a range of 11 to 15 minutes to cooking time.

Recipe Details

Farinata (Italian Chickpea Pancake) Recipe

Prep15 mins

Cook11 mins

Active15 mins

Resting Time4 hrs 10 mins

Total4 hrs 36 mins

Serves4to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (2 cups; 226g) finely ground chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
  • 1 teaspoon (3g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
  • 3 cups (710ml) water
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Picked rosemary leaves, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine chickpea flour and salt. Gradually add water, whisking constantly, until a smooth, thin batter forms. Let stand, covered, at least 4 and up to 8 hours.

    Farinata (Italian Chickpea Pancake) Recipe (10)

  2. Preheat oven to 550°F (288°C) and position oven rack in second position from top. If you have a pizza stone or baking steel, set it on the rack (it will help crisp the farinata from below, but isn't required).

  3. Pour olive oil into a well-seasoned large 12-inch cast iron skillet and swirl to fully coat bottom in an even layer. Using a spoon, scrape any foam from surface of batter and discard. Stir batter to mix well, then pour into skillet. Stir gently to swirl oil on top of batter. Season all over with black pepper and sprinkle with rosemary leaves, if using.

    Farinata (Italian Chickpea Pancake) Recipe (11)

  4. Turn on broiler. Set skillet on pizza stone or baking steel, or on the oven rack if not using a stone, and cook until farinata has just set, no longer jiggles, and is browned all over, 11 to 15 minutes.

  5. Let farinata cool slightly until set, about 10 minutes. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Special Equipment

Cast iron skillet, baking steel (optional)

Notes

If your broiler cycles off, you can prop the oven door open with a utensil to keep it on the whole time.

Farinata (Italian Chickpea Pancake) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between panelle and farinata? ›

Panelle might bring to mind Liguria's farinata, a baked flatbread also made with a chickpea batter. But while both have a similarly delicious, mildly nutty flavor, if you ask me, the crispiness you get by frying them gives panelle a definite leg up. They're a bit like potato chips, only thicker and tastier.

What pan is best for farinata? ›

Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven. (If you have a socca pan, obviously that will work well also.)

What is farinata made of? ›

Made with just chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt, farinata is a naturally gluten free, dairy free, and vegan delight. It's fairly easy to make, you just need to plan ahead: give yourself at least 4 hours to allow the flour to hydrate while you go about your day.

Is farinata good for you? ›

Here there are some of the benefits of chickpea flour: As the dough is made with chickpea flour, this meal is very high in protein. Chickpea flour is higher in protein than other flours. It is rich in vitamins and minerals.

What does farinata mean in Italian? ›

Farinata means “made of flour” in standard Italian.

What is another name for farinata? ›

Farinata
Alternative namesFarinata di ceci, torta di ceci, fainé, fainá, cecìna, socca
TypePancake
Place of originItaly
Region or stateTuscany
Main ingredientsChickpea flour, water, olive oil
2 more rows

Why does farinata need to rest? ›

The proper ratio of water to chickpea flour makes a very thin batter that cooks up into a custardy pancake. Resting the batter allows the chickpea flour to fully hydrate.

How to eat farinata? ›

Farinata is best eaten hot, straight out of the oven. The traditional way of eating it is simple, with a sprinkle of salt and a couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper.

Is chickpea flour the same as chickpea? ›

Besan flour, gram flour, and garbanzo bean flour are all chickpea flours; they're just made from different varieties of chickpeas. Chickpea flour or garbanzo bean flour is milled using whole white chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Besan or gram flour is made by grinding split brown chickpeas (chana dal) into a fine powder.

Is chickpea flour made from raw or cooked chickpeas? ›

Chickpea flour — also known as besan, Channa dal or gram flour — is made from ground raw or roasted chickpeas. Roasted varieties has more flavor, while the raw variety is bitter.

Why is chickpea flour better? ›

Chickpea flour is full of healthy nutrients. It's a great alternative to refined wheat flour, as it's lower in carbs and calories yet richer in protein and fiber. Research suggests that it may have antioxidant potential and could decrease levels of the harmful compound acrylamide in processed foods.

Is chickpea flour inflammatory? ›

Chickpea flour is also a terrific anti-inflammatory food, as consuming beans has been shown to have anti-inflammatory abilities and protective benefits against cancer — in particular cancer within the digestive tract, including colon, stomach and kidney cancer.

Is chickpea flour bad for cholesterol? ›

Complex carbs slow the emptying of the stomach and make you feel full longer! Due to the high fiber content of chickpea flour and its effect on LDL-C, or bad cholesterol, cholesterol is cleared from the body and this reduces the build-up of plaque in our arteries.

Are chickpeas healthier than meat? ›

Another bonus: Unlike meat, you won't get the saturated fat and cholesterol often associated with that protein. Beyond fiber and protein, chickpeas provide folate, a B vitamin necessary for protein metabolism, maintaining cell health and function and preventing birth defects.

What is a panelle in English? ›

Panelle are chickpea fritters in a mafalda roll a Sicilian bread with sesame seeds. Panelle are among the tastiest street food masterpieces in Sicily. Discover all about its origins and how to make it at home with this easy and delicious recipe!

What is panella bread made of? ›

Panelle are made by mixing chickpea flour with water, salt, pepper, and olive oil, then whisking over heat until a thick dough is formed. Parsley is mixed into the dough and the mixture is either spread on an oiled baking sheet or put in an oiled container to cool and set.

What is pane e panelle in english? ›

Pane e panelle (chickpea flour fritters in bread rolls), like spitini palermitani (small breaded, fried ragu sandwiches), arancine (breaded, fried balls of rice with various fillings), and ravazzate (brioche rolls stuff with ragu) are a typical street food of Palermo.

What did farinata do? ›

Farinata degli Uberti (died Nov. 11, 1264) was a Florentine nobleman who became the leader of the Florentine Ghibellines, the proimperial party. According to Dante (Inferno, canto X), Uberti alone dissuaded the members of the Ghibelline coalition from razing the city of Florence, which they had just captured.

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