Mallorcan Vegetable Coca

La storia di questo piatto

La Coca Mallorquina è la voce della terra balearica fatta pane piatto — figlia di contadini che guardavano il Mediterraneo senza mai smettere di coltivarlo, eredità di mani che mescolavano culture arabe, catalane e insulari in un unico gesto antico e silenzioso.

Ingredienti

• 300 g Type 0 flour
• 180 ml Warm water
• 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 6 g Salt
• 5 g Dry baker'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 water that is just barely warm to the touch—never hot—because if the water is too hot for your finger, it will kill the yeast and render it useless. Make a well with the flour and salt, pour the liquid into the center, and begin gathering the flour from the edges with your fingertips, little by little, until a rough dough begins to form.
2. Now drizzle in the oil a thin stream at a time, and work the dough with the palms of your hands, pushing it forward and folding it back over itself, for about ten minutes. You will know it is ready when the dough becomes smooth as a baby's skin under your hands and elastic, no longer sticking to your fingers.
3. Form the dough into a beautiful smooth ball, coat it lightly with a thin film of oil so the surface does not dry out, place it in a bowl covered with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest in a warm corner of your kitchen, away from any drafts. After an hour, it should have doubled in size: if you press your finger into the dough and the indentation remains, it is ready.
4. While the dough rests, prepare the topping: slice the onion and peppers into thin strips, cut the tomatoes into small dice, and mince the garlic very finely. Heat the oil in a pan, let the garlic just turn golden without burning, then add the onion and peppers and let them soften gently for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking over medium heat for another ten minutes, allowing the liquid to reduce slightly so the flavors meld and concentrate together. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper, then let the mixture cool away from the heat: topping that is still hot would deflate the dough underneath.
6. Dampen your fingertips lightly with water or oil and gently stretch the risen dough into the oiled pan, pressing carefully from the center outward toward the edges without deflating it too much. Aim for a uniform thickness of about half a centimeter, so it will cook evenly throughout and never remain raw in the middle.
7. Spread the topping, now cooled or just warm, evenly across the entire surface, extending almost to the edges with a spoon, taking your time and being careful not to pull the dough down. Finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil: it is this that gives the focaccia its aroma and crispness as it bakes.
8. Bake at 220°C in an oven that is already well preheated for twenty to twenty-five minutes. It is done when the edges have puffed up and turned golden and crispy to the touch, and the base, when you lift it with a spatula, appears thin and dry, never soft or spongy.
9. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer the focaccia onto a cooling rack so the steam underneath does not soften it; let it cool for a few minutes. Cut it into squares and bring it to the table at room temperature, when all the flavors have fully opened up.