Farinata was something I discovered in Italy. As a gluten-free person, I missed out on quite a bit of Italian cuisine, but farinata appeared on the menu at a pizzaria in Torino, described as “chickpea gruel.” Gruel is a poor translation for a dish that more like a delicious cross between polenta and pizza.
I love farinata
I really do love farinata. It’s one of my favourite go-to meals and I usually make a triple batch to serve my family of four. I love it because:
- It literally only takes 20 minutes to bake farinata. Just set up the batter in the morning, and you’ve got your dinner made.
- Farinata is the perfect way to use up whatever vegetables are in your kitchen. (See below for a few of my favourite combinations).
- Best of all, my kids think of it as pizza and always eat their fill (yea for eating beans!)
Farinata
Farinata is a quick and delicious meal that is a cross between polenta and a pizza. Since it’s made with chickpea flour, it is also gluten free and vegan.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Preferment
- 2/3 cup chickpea flour (or garfava flour)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp starter culture (optional -see notes)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Remaining Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Choice of toppings (see below for suggestions)
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in the preferment. Allow to soak for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Oil a 9″ round ovenproof dish with 2 tbsp olive oil. Pour batter into the pan and shake it around to combine it with the oil. The batter should be about 1/4 inch thick.
- Then decorate with toppings (see below).
- Bake at 400 F for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Chickpeas will ferment really well with miso. However, you can also use whey, sauerkraut brine or soured kombucha.
- I usually use a cast iron skillet
for a single batch of farinata. For a triple batch of farinata, I use a large cookie sheets with 1″ sides
. Just avoid using a spring-form pan because the batter is runny.
for a single batch of farinata. For a triple batch of farinata, I use a 
. Just avoid using a spring-form pan because the batter is runny.Keywords: gluten free, grain free, vegan, pizza, bread, pancake
Toppings!
Toppings can be either baked into the farinata or served on top. Here are our favourite toppings.
- Baked Toppings:
- Sliced onion and tomato with grated cheddar
- Cooked cubes of butternut squash and crumbled blue cheese (this was what I was served in Italy)
- Sauted mushrooms with rosemary and Parmeasan cheese
- Fresh Toppings:
- Tomato with basil and goat cheese
- Arugula, mozzarella and balsamic vinegrette
- Oven-roasted peppers, zucchini and eggplant with feta
- Sauces:
- Serve with your favourite tomato sauce
- Pesto over top of farinata baked with broccoli and pine nuts
- A creamy cheese sauce with fresh tomatoes
Bobbi Hoadley
November 18, 2017 at 11:42 amA yummy GF alternative for pizza. I like it cheesy.
★★★★★
Jessica Schafer
September 14, 2018 at 6:42 pmThis worked really well! I made a roasted red pepper sauce for topping. Probably should have thrown on some parmesan as well, but my son said it was flavourful enough without cheese (amazing for him to say that!)
★★★★★
Emillie
September 14, 2018 at 6:58 pmGlad you enjoyed it. It is one of our favourite recipes!
Hollis Ramsey
April 11, 2019 at 8:23 ami love this recipe, it’s got so many possible ingredients/combinations!
★★★★★
Emillie
April 11, 2019 at 9:42 amThanks!