Catalan Escalivada Flatbread (Coca de Verdures all'Escalivada)

La storia di questo piatto

In Catalonia the coca is a humble flatbread that has long been the canvas for whatever the vegetable garden offers, and escalivada, the Catalan way of roasting vegetables whole, is its most natural companion. This is a home-kitchen plate that carries that tradition: flat dough, charred peppers, aubergine and spring onions, all glossed with olive oil.

Ingredienti

• 400 g Type 00 soft wheat flour
• 250 ml Lukewarm water
• 7 g Fresh baker's yeast
• 3 g Sugar
• 12 g Fine sea salt
• 120 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 600 g Red and yellow bell peppers
• 400 g Fresh spring onions
• 300 g Aubergines
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 g Freshly ground black pepper
• 10 g Herbs (thyme, rosemary)

Preparazione

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in all 250 ml of lukewarm (not hot) water and let rest for 10 minutes, until the surface is frothy. In a large bowl, mix the flour with 8 g of salt, pour in the water with the yeast and knead for 8-10 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
2. Incorporate 40 ml of extra virgin olive oil and knead for another 2-3 minutes, until fully absorbed. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes, until it has doubled in volume.
3. While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 210°C. This is the Catalan escalivada method: vegetables roasted whole, then peeled and shredded. Wash the peppers and aubergines and leave them whole, without cutting; arrange them on two trays (about 30x40 cm) in a single layer, together with the whole spring onions with their green stalks. Season with 40 ml of oil, 4 g of salt and the pepper. Place half of the herbs (thyme and rosemary) among the vegetables, reserving the other half for finishing. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until the pepper skins are blackened and blistered. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves only halfway through cooking, tucked under the vegetables so they don't burn. When the vegetables are soft and lightly charred, transfer the peppers and aubergines to a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel the peppers and aubergines, remove seeds and stems, and cut them into wide strips. Strain the cooking oil, discarding any burnt bits, and set it aside; mash the soft garlic and stir it into the vegetables.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a tray of about 30x40 cm with 10 ml of oil and stretch the dough with wet hands to a thickness of about 1 cm, without deflating it completely. Brush the surface with the strained cooking oil.
5. Spread the shredded vegetables and spring onions over the flatbread, leaving some dough visible. Finish with the reserved thyme and rosemary leaves. Bake at 200°C for 15-18 minutes, until the base is golden and crisp and the edges are slightly raised.
6. Take the flatbread out of the oven and drizzle with about 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil while still hot. Let it rest for 5 minutes, cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature. For a traditional touch, top with a few black olives or anchovy fillets.