Pumpkin and caramelized onion Cocas
– Valencian mini pizzas! –
Dive into the glorious and healthy Mediterranean cuisine and you’ll quickly come across Cocas. Similar in appearance to small pizzas (they’re often referred to as Valencian Pizza), these tasty little tapas morsels delight with a range of delicious and super creative toppings for your cocas recipe.
Cocas are a labor of love, and the dough is best made well in advance (the night before is ideal). We have created a tasty and slightly spicy vegetarian option, but be as creative as you like with the toppings. The sky’s the limit and Cocas are always loaded with toppings, never sparsely sprinkled!
Serving:
Tapas for 4 people
Ready in:
4 hours
Skill level:
Moderate
Serve with:
Good on its own!
About This Recipe
Cocas are small pizza-like tapas that are made with various toppings, either with meat, seafood, or vegetarian options. Cocas are prominently served along the Mediterranean coast of Spain, from Barcelona down to around Alicante.
One of the best places to sample Cocas is within the Valencia region, and Denia is one town in particular where you’ll find a concentration of excellent Coca restaurants. So popular are these small pizza-like tapas that they are often sold out by 2 pm. It’s common to see early morning queues snaking out of many of Denia’s popular Coca establishments.
What are Cocas?
So, what’s all the fuss about?
Aren’t they just a little pizza with a range of toppings? Well, yes and no.
Cocas are amongst the food royalty of the Valencian region, rubbing shoulders with more well-known dishes such as paella and seafood fideua. One defining feature about Cocas is they usually have healthy ingredients…and lots of them!
How to Make Pumpkin and Caramelized Onion Cocas
Equipment Needed
- 1 x large baking tray
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Method (step-by-step)
For the cocas:
- 10 grams/0.02 lb of fresh yeast (or 7-gram sachet fast-action dried yeast)
- 330ml/11 fl. oz. lukewarm water
- pinch sugar
- 500g/1.1 lb. of plain flour (plus a little extra for dusting)
- 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 grams of sea salt (crushed fine)
- Crushed chili flakes (optional for spice)
For the topping:
- 300 grams/ 0.66 lb. of butternut squash, cut into small ½-inch thick wedges
- 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
- 40 ml/1.35 fl.oz. extra virgin olive oil
- A few sprigs of rosemary (or thyme)
- 20-30 grams of crushed pistachio nuts
- Some alfalfa for garnish (optional)
Method (step-by-step)
STEP 1 – Prepare the yeast and water mix
- Add the yeast, sugar, and a few tablespoons of water into a small bowl. Mix the ingredients until it forms a smooth paste.
- Add around half of the water and let it stand for 30 minutes.
STEP 2 – Mix Flour and prepare dough
- Sift the flour and add the olive oil and the sea salt to the mixture. Slowly add small amounts of the yeast water until it is forming a dough and mix thoroughly.
- Knead the mixture for around 5 minutes. Leave to stand for 10 minutes and then knead again for another 5 minutes.
- The dough mixture should be quite elastic. If the mixture looks too dry, add a little more water and continue to knead for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the dough to a bowl and cover with a clean cloth for an hour. It should rise and double in size.
STEP 3 – Prepare the topping
- Heat oven to 200C/400F.
- Add the pumpkin and onion to a large baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Add some salt and pepper and some rosemary for seasoning. If you’re using chili flake, add some too!
- Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Once golden, remove from the oven and set aside.
- Sprinkle a little flour onto a large chopping board. Roll the dough into a long snake and cut it into 6 equal pieces.
- Use your hands to roll each piece into a ball again. Flatten out and roll out to the desired shape (they are usually a circle but rectangles are also popular).
STEP 4 – Bake Cocas
- Increase oven heat to 240C/465F.
- Add a little flour to the base of a baking tray and drizzle a touch of oil on the tray. Add the dough pieces to the tray and cover with a clean cloth, let stand for 20 minutes.
- Add the topping to the Cocas, sprinkle some of the crushed pistachio nuts (save some for once they come out of the oven too), and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cocas become golden.
STEP 5 – To serve
- To serve, sprinkle the remaining pistachio nuts over the cocas, drizzle with some olive oil, and add a few springs of alfalfa for garnish.
Pumpkin and caramelized onion Cocas (Veggie recipe!)
Equipment
- 1 large 12 x 9 inch baking tray
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the cocas:
- 10 grams/0.02 lb of fresh yeast or 7-gram sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 330 ml/11 fl. oz. lukewarm water
- pinch sugar
- 500 g/1.1 lb. of plain flour plus a little extra for dusting
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 grams of sea salt crushed fine
For the topping:
- 300 grams/ 0.66 lb. of butternut squash cut into small ½-inch thick wedges
- 1 red onion cut into thin wedges
- 40 ml/1.35 fl.oz. extra virgin olive oil
- A few sprigs of rosemary or thyme
- 20-30 grams of crushed pistachio nuts
- Crushed chili flakes
- Some alfalfa for garnish optional
Instructions
STEP 1 - Prepare the yeast and water mix
- Add the yeast, sugar, and a few tablespoons of water into a small bowl. Mix the ingredients until it forms a smooth paste.
- Add around half of the water and let it stand for 30 minutes.
STEP 2 - Mix Flour and prepare dough
- Sift the flour and add the olive oil and the sea salt to the mixture. Slowly add small amounts of the yeast water until it is forming a dough and mix thoroughly.
- Knead the mixture for around 5 minutes. Leave to stand for 10 minutes and then knead again for another 5 minutes.
- The dough mixture should be quite elastic. If the mixture looks too dry, add a little more water and continue to knead for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the dough to a bowl and cover with a clean cloth for an hour. It should rise and double in size.
STEP 3 - Prepare the topping
- Heat oven to 200C/400F.
- Add the pumpkin and onion to a large baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Add some salt and pepper and some rosemary for seasoning.
- Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Once golden, remove from the oven and set aside.
- Sprinkle a little flour onto a large chopping board. Roll the dough into a long snake and cut into 6 equal pieces.
- Use your hands to roll each piece into a ball again. Flatten out and roll out to the desired shape (they are usually a circle but rectangles are also popular).
STEP 4 - Bake cocas
- Increase oven heat to 240C/465F.
- Add a little flour to the base of a baking tray and drizzle a touch of oil on the tray. Add the dough pieces to the tray and cover with a clean cloth, let stand for 20 minutes.
- Add the topping to the cocas, sprinkle some of the crushed pistachio nuts (save some for once they come out of the oven too), and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cocas become golden.
STEP 5 - To serve
- To serve, sprinkle the remaining pistachio nuts over the cocas, drizzle with some olive oil, and add a few springs of alfalfa for garnish.
Notes
Pumpkin and caramelized onion Cocas-nutrition facts