Coca de Valencia with Tomatoes, Piquillo Peppers and Bonito

Coca de Valencia with Tomatoes, Piquillo Peppers and Tuna

I love this recipe, it’s tasty to the bite and you don’t need to wait around for the dough to prove and double in size. The coca base is short, crunchy and crisp and holds all the topping you want to throw at it - perfectly.

Makes 2 x 8inch Cocas

125ml olive oil 

125ml cerveza (light beer)

½ tsp salt 

300g plain flour

For the topping

4 winter Ibérico tomatoes from Spain

¾ jar piquillo peppers (I like the Navarrico the brand)

2 small tins bonito del norte white tuna (I like the Ortiz brand)

Flurry of pimentón dulce (la chinata is my favourite)

A few olives if you like…

I made my coca outside on my Weber BBQ Grill using the pizza stone. Don’t fret, this works just as well in a hot oven, just press the dough out onto a baking sheet, top with the ingredients and cook at 200c until the base is crisp and golden about 20-25mins.

For the base, in a bowl whisk together the olive oil and the cerveza. Add the salt, rain in the plain flour and continue to mix until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers. Cover with a cloth and leave to rest for about 30minutes.

Meanwhile slice your tomatoes, rip the piquillo peppers into long pieces, open the tuna and have the olives and pimentón on side.  

Split the dough in half, drop one half on to a baking sheet, pushing out with your fingers to make a rough circle or oval shape. Top with the sliced tomatoes and peppers and transfer to your preheated outdoor grill and hot pizza stone and cook for 15minutes until crisp at the edges. If you’re not cooking outside, pop the coca into a preheated oven (200c) for 20-25minutes or until the edges are crisp and golden.

Transfer the coca to a cutting board and top with the tuna, a few olives and a flurry of sweet smoked Spanish paprika. 

Repeat.