Tuscany’s Best Street Food is Vegan: Cecina (Chickpea Flatbread) Recipe from Italy

Last updated on June 22nd, 2024

The first time I ate cecina, a type of ‘strit food,’ as the Italians call it (they have basically just ‘italianized’ the word by writing it phonetically), was years ago. 

Who knew I’d end up living just a short drive from the home of cecina – Livorno, on the Tuscan coast.

Cecina, also known as torta di ceci (chickpea cake), is a comfort food if you like salty and greasy snacks (like potato pizza!). But don’t worry, it’s not heavy or too oily. Cecina is a type of chickpea flatbread that’s perfectly crisp and salty on the outside while light and velvety on the inside. 

If you’re traveling in Tuscany and you see cecina being made fresh in a food stall at a market, at a pizzeria or in a bakery, get it while it’s hot (it’s so much better that way).

Since I love it so much I was determined to learn to make it at home. I have a good Italian friend, Gaia, who is a pro at making it. After getting her recipe, and making it many times for friends and family, I finally can share my recipe. 

Making cecina is quick – it takes literally 2 minutes to mix up as it’s made primarily from chickpea flour and water. So, this cecina recipe is very easy to work into a busy schedule.

Important: You need to let the cecina batter rest at least 2 hours but preferably for 5+ before baking it. So, you do need to plan ahead. 

Read more about Traditional Tuscan Food and Tuscan Street Food.

Cecina Pronunciation

Cecina is pronounced cheh-CHEE-nah in Italian.

Listen to the pronunciation of cecina:

What is Cecina?  

This is Tuscany’s version of farinata (Liguria, Italian Riviera) or socca (Nice, French Riviera). No matter its origin, each recipe comes from coastal towns, indicating how this recipe was transported from port town to port town, changing over time and space. 

Cecina is best described as a savory chickpea pancake or thin chickpea flatbread that is cooked at a high temperature, creating a crispy, blistered exterior with a pillowy center. Greasy and salty, this chickpea flatbread is one of Tuscany’s best street foods. 

In places where it’s most popular (in Livorno, for example) the cecina is served as a sandwich between two slices of bread, known as cinque e cinque.

Nice To Know: Cecina is naturally gluten free! Make sure you check the chickpea flour package to see if it’s certified gluten free.

More Veg Please: Check out my list of Vegetarian Dishes to Try in Italy.

Ingredients for Cecina

Serves between 6-8 as an appetizer or snack, depending on how hungry the crowd is.
Prep time 5 min.
Rest time 5 hours.
Cook time 15 min

• 7 oz (200 grams) chickpea flour (sometimes called besan)
• 20 ½ fl oz (600 ml) cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup olive oil, preferably extra-virgin, + more for drizzling
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cecina Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Mix the chickpea flour and water until completely smooth and without lumps. Note the batter will be very runny, similar to a crepe batter. Cover and let rest at least 2 hours but preferably 5 or overnight.
2. Remove any of the foam that has formed on the top of the batter. Add the oil and salt.
3. Preheat the oven to 450° F (230° C). 
4. If you are using a pizza pan with a lip or a cast iron, put it in the oven when preheating (pouring the batter in the hot pan helps it from sticking and creates an extra crispy crust). 
5. If you have preheated your pan, carefully pull it out with pot holders, drizzle a generous amount of olive oil in the pan, swirl it around to coat the bottom and add enough of the batter to make your cecina about ⅛-¼ (3-6 mm) inch in height. Just eyeball it. It might not be perfect the first time but you will get an idea and then do better on the second batch. 
6. If you are using an oiled baking sheet, pour the batter in, again, being sure the cecina is about ⅛-¼ inch in height. 
7. Bake in the bottom of the oven for 10-15 minutes if using the pre-heated cast iron and 15-20 if you are not using a preheated pan until golden brown and crispy on the edges. It’s hard to tell but the middle should still be soft and creamy. I have found that every time I do it, it cooks slightly differently so really keep an eye on the time and check on it if you start to smell a good aroma – it may be close to being done!
8. Drizzle with more olive oil and finish with freshly ground black pepper before cutting into large wedges.

Easy Cleanup: If you are not pre-heating a cast iron and just using a rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper for very easy clean up!

Substitutions For Cecina

• There are no real substitutions but you can try adding a bit of dried rosemary to the top before baking.
• Although not authentic cecina, this is a good way to use up leftover cooked veggies. Just finely chop thin and add them to the batter for a non-traditional version.

Cecina Serving Suggestions

• Make a sandwich by putting leftovers between two slices of bread (very common in Livorno).
• Serve as an antipasto on pizza night, very traditional in coastal towns.
• Serve with a small glass of wine or a beer as an aperitivo.

Cecina Notes and Tips

• I prefer to leave the batter overnight to rest. The longer it rests, the creamier and more custardy the cecina will be.
• Use an oven thermometer. It’s important to have the correct oven temperature!
• Note the resting time for the batter. Plan this into your baking schedule.
• If using a square baking sheet, the best size is roughly 10.5″ x 15″.
• Grease the pan very well with olive oil. It sticks easily. You can also use parchment paper to line the baking sheet instead.
• Preheating an oven to this high of a temperature can take quite some time, depending on the oven, so also give yourself ample time to get that oven nice and hot.
• Use an appropriate pan that will not buckle or warp in the very hot oven. Thin pans tend to do this. Opt for a thicker baking tray with a lip. Cast iron works best.
• If you are indecisive about a pan, go for a larger pan that will make a thinner cecina compared to a thicker one. 
• If you don’t have a large baking tray to keep the cecina at the right thickness (around ⅛-¼ inch) then make two batches, or more if need be!
• Try to keep your cecina thin. It’s much better because we all know the crusty crust is the best part!
• Halve the recipe for just a couple of people.

Where to Eat the Best Cecina in Tuscany

Tried and true, these are my favorites to get cecina in Tuscany. Note that three of the four places are pizzerias. It’s very common to serve cecina in a very rustic, casual pizzeria on the seaside.

• Pizzeria da Nando (Pisa)
• Torteria da Gagarin (Livorno)
• Pizzeria Il Castagnacciaio (Portoferraio, Isola d’Elba)
• Pizzeria da Rizieri (Viareggio)

Authentic Tuscan Cecina (Chickpea Flatbread)

A simple recipe for cecina, best described as a savory chickpea pancake or thin flatbread that is cooked at a high temperature, creating a crispy, blistered exterior with a pillowy center. Greasy and salty, this is one of Tuscany’s best street foods.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Resting time 5 hours hrs

Course Snack

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 7 oz chickpea flour (200 g), sometimes called besan
• 20.5 fl oz cold water (600 ml)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil preferably extra virgin
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Mix the chickpea flour and water until completely smooth and without lumps. Note the batter will be very runny, similar to a crepe batter. Cover and let rest at least 2 hours but preferably 5 or overnight.
• Remove any of the foam that has formed on the top of the batter. Add the oil and salt.
• Preheat the oven to 430° F (220° C).
• If you are using a pizza pan with a lip or a cast iron, put it in the oven when preheating (pouring the batter in the hot pan helps it from sticking and creates an extra crispy crust).
• If you have preheated your pan, carefully pull it out with pot holders, drizzle a generous amount of olive oil in the pan, swirl it around to coat the bottom and add enough of the batter to make your cecina about ⅛-¼ (3-6 mm) inch in height. Just eyeball it. It might not be perfect the first time but you will get an idea and then do better on the second batch.
• If you are using an oiled baking sheet (about 10.5"x15"), pour the batter in, again, being sure the cecina is about ⅛-¼ inch in height. You can also use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
• Bake in the bottom of the oven for 10-15 minutes if using the pre-heated cast iron and 15-20 if you are not using until golden brown and crispy on the edges. It’s hard to tell but the middle should still be soft and creamy. I have found that every time I do it, it cooks slightly differently so really keep an eye on the time and check on it if you start to smell a good aroma – it may be close to being done!
• Drizzle with more olive oil and finish with freshly ground black pepper before cutting into large wedges.

Notes

Substitutions:

• There are no real substitutions but you can try adding a bit of dried rosemary to the top before baking.
• Although not authentic cecina, this is a good way to use up leftover cooked veggies. Just finely chop thin and add them to the batter for a non-traditional version.

Serving Suggestions:

• Make a sandwich by putting leftovers between two slices of bread (very common in Livorno).
• Serve as an antipasto on pizza night, very traditional in coastal towns.
• Serve with a small glass of wine or a beer as an aperitivo.

Notes and Tips:

• I prefer to leave the batter overnight to rest. The longer it rests, the creamier and more custardy the cecina will be.
• If using a square baking sheet, the best size is roughly 10.5″ x 15″.
• Use an oven thermometer. It’s important to have the correct oven temperature!
• Note the resting time for the batter. Plan this into your baking schedule.
• Grease the pan very well with olive oil. It sticks easily. Or use parchment paper to line your baking sheet.
• Preheating an oven to this high of a temperature can take quite some time, depending on the oven, so also give yourself ample time to get that oven nice and hot.
• Use an appropriate pan that will not buckle or warp in the very hot oven. Thin pans tend to do this. Opt for a thicker baking tray with a lip. Cast iron works best.
• If you are indecisive about a pan, go for a larger pan that will make a thinner cecina compared to a thicker one. 
• If you don’t have a large baking tray to keep the cecina at the right thickness (around ⅛-¼ inch) then make two batches, or more if need be!
• Try to keep your cecina thin. It’s much better because we all know the crusty crust is the best part!
• Halve the recipe for just a couple of people.

Keyword easy, street food

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Cecina Recipe FAQ