Coca Mallorquina (Mallorcan Flatbread with Vegetables)

La storia di questo piatto

Coca Mallorquina is the Balearic answer to the question of how little a table needs: a flat, crisp bread crowned with vegetables and nothing else. It belongs to Mallorca's quiet kitchens, where meatless simplicity is a form of pride.

Ingredienti

• 300 g Type 00 flour
• 180 ml Lukewarm water
• 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 6 g Salt
• 5 g Dried brewer's yeast
• 2 pieces Red bell peppers
• 1 large Yellow onion
• 3 medium Ripe tomatoes
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 g Ground black pepper

Preparazione

1. Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water, never hot, with a pinch of salt: if it burns your finger, it will kill the yeast. Make a well with the flour and salt, pour the liquid into the center, and gradually gather the flour from the edges with your fingers until a rough dough forms.
2. Now drizzle in the oil little by little and work the dough with the heel of your palms, pushing it forward and folding it back on itself, for about ten minutes. It is ready when it becomes smooth as a baby's skin and elastic, no longer sticking to your fingers.
3. Shape a smooth round ball, coat it with a thin film of oil so it doesn't dry on the surface, place it in a bowl covered with a clean cloth, and let it rest in a warm corner of the kitchen, away from drafts. After an hour it should have doubled: if you press a finger into the dough and the dimple remains, it is ready.
4. While the dough rests, prepare the topping: slice the onion and peppers into thin strips, dice the tomatoes small, and finely chop the garlic. Heat the oil in a pan, lightly brown the garlic without burning it, then add the onion and peppers and let them soften gently for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking over medium heat for another ten minutes, so the liquid reduces slightly and the flavors come together. Adjust the salt and pepper by tasting, then let it cool off the heat: a hot topping would melt the dough underneath.
6. Lightly wet your fingertips with water or oil and spread the risen dough into the already oiled baking tray, pressing gently from the center outward toward the edges so you don't deflate it too much. Aim for an even thickness of about half a centimeter so it bakes well everywhere without the center staying raw.
7. Spread the now cold or lukewarm topping over the entire surface, reaching almost to the edges with a spoon, calmly and without pushing the dough down. Finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil: this is what gives aroma and crispness during baking.
8. Bake at 220°C, with the oven already well heated, for 20–25 minutes. It is ready when the edge has risen and turned golden and crisp to the touch, and the base, lifted with a spatula, looks thin and dry, never soft or spongy.
9. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer the flatbread to a wire rack so steam from below doesn't soften it; let it cool for a few minutes. Cut into squares and serve at room temperature, once the flavors have fully settled.