The coca is one of the oldest symbols of Catalan and Balearic culinary tradition. Similar to a flatbread, it originated in the Middle Ages to use up poorly leavened bread dough, enriched with simple ingredients and baked in the oven.
➡️The term “coca” derives from the Latin coquere (to cook), and has ancient roots in Mediterranean rural cuisine: it was a simple way to reuse leftover bread dough, then seasoned with local ingredients. It is closely related to other flatbreads of the Mediterranean basin (like the French fougasse or the Greek pita).
Tradition:
Cocas are made all year round, but some versions are linked to religious or seasonal festivities (e.g., coca de Sant Joan for the summer solstice).
➡️Over time, it has taken on endless variations: sweet or savory, open or closed, thick or thin, with or without yeast.
• Savory coca: with vegetables (e.g., coca de recapte), sardines, cod, cheese, or sausage.
• Sweet coca: with fruit (e.g., cherries or apricots), sugar, cream, pine nuts, anise, or sweet sobrasada.
➡️Among the most loved sweet versions is the coca de vidre, crunchy and very thin, with caramelized sugar and pine nuts.
➡️The name “glass” comes from the shiny effect of the sugar when baked. Traditionally, it is flavored with anise liqueur.
My version of Coca de vidre is gluten-free, with rice flour and carob seed flour.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for gluten-free coca de vidre:
- 1 1/3 cups rice flour
- 0.24 cups cornstarch
- 0.16 cups carob seed flour
- 3.4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (+ for brushing)
- to taste granulated sugar
- to taste pine nuts
- 1 small glass anise liqueur
Steps
1. In a bowl, mix the flours, starch, sugar, and salt.
2. Add oil and water gradually until you get a smooth and malleable dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out the dough very thin on parchment paper, forming strips or ovals.
4. Brush with oil, sprinkle generously with granulated sugar and pine nuts.
5. Bake at 428°F for about 10-12 minutes, until they become crunchy and caramelized. While still hot, spray the surface with anise liqueur.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the classic savory coca recipe?
On the blog of fellow blogger Sara from Sara Buono Davvero, you can find the classic recipe, with type 1 flour inspired by the coca de recapte. Recipe at this link.
