Coca amb Tonyina Recipe: Alicante's Salty Tuna Flatbread 2026

Coca amb tonyina is a savory flatbread from the city of Alicante, traditionally eaten during the San Juan festivities. A simple olive-oil dough is stretched thin, filled with salted tuna and sweet onions, then studded with pine nuts and baked until deeply golden.

The filling is remarkably simple, yet it delivers an intense, briny flavor that has made this coca a culinary symbol of the city. The dough comes together quickly with beer and olive oil, and it bakes into a thin, wonderfully crunchy crust.

Depending on the area of Alicante, the filling may carry more or fewer onions, or include other vegetables such as tomato or peppers. If you can't find the traditional salted tuna, canned tuna will work too, though the result won't be quite the same.

It is a generous appetizer meant for sharing, cut into squares or strips and passed around the table while still slightly warm. Serve it as a starter or as part of a spread of small plates.

The contrast between the crisp crust and the savory, pine-nut-studded filling is what makes this coca so memorable. Once you've made it, it's easy to see why it's a festival favorite.

Ingredients for Coca amb Tonyina

Makes 16 servings

• 1 medium onion
• 250 g salted tuna (tonyina de sorra)
• 40 g olive oil
• 40 g pine nuts
• 250 ml beer
• 250 ml olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 500-550 g wheat flour
• Beaten egg

How to Make Coca amb Tonyina Step by Step

1. Peel and cut the onion

Start by preparing the filling. Peel and cut 1 medium onion into strips, then set it aside.

2. Chop the salted tuna

Cut 250 grams of salted tuna into small dice of about 1-2 cm. If necessary, remove the skin first.

3. Sauté the onion and tuna

Put 40 grams of olive oil in a saucepan or skillet, add the onion and the tuna, and sauté until the onion is soft and lightly golden.

4. Drain and add the pine nuts

Drain the filling through a colander and let it cool completely at room temperature. Then add 40 grams of pine nuts and mix well.

5. Mix the beer and oil

Meanwhile, make the dough. Put 250 ml of beer in a bowl along with 250 ml of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt.

6. Bring the flour together

Add 500-550 grams of flour little by little. If the dough still feels a bit sticky after 500 grams, add the rest gradually until you have a moist dough that doesn't stick to the touch.

7. Let the dough rest

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.

8. Divide the dough in two

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts of approximately 500 grams each.

9. Stretch the first dough

Stretch one piece of dough on parchment paper using your fingers. Leave it about 30 x 40 cm and place it on a baking tray.

10. Spread the filling

Put the filling on the dough and spread it over the entire surface.

11. Top and seal the edges

Stretch the other piece of dough the same way. Carefully place it over the filling and seal the edges by pressing with your fingers.

12. Brush with egg and bake

Preheat the oven to 190 ºC with top and bottom heat. Brush the surface of the dough with beaten egg and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the dough is golden.

13. Cool and serve

Remove from the oven and let it cool before eating. Once it has come to room temperature, it's ready to serve.

Tips for the Best Coca amb Tonyina

Handle the salted tuna carefully

The tuna used in this coca is tonyina de sorra, a part of the tuna usually sold dry or salted, which gives the coca its intense flavor. When you buy it, you may be advised to soak it in water for a while before making the coca, since otherwise it can taste too salty.

Keep the dough moist but not sticky

The dough should be soft and slightly damp without clinging to your fingers. Add the flour gradually and stop as soon as it reaches that point, then let it rest covered so it stays pliable and easy to stretch.

Adapt the filling to your taste

Depending on the area of Alicante, the filling can vary and include more or less onion or other vegetables such as tomato or peppers. Canned tuna can stand in for tonyina de sorra if you can't find it; the result won't be the same, but it still satisfies the craving for a delicious Alicante coca.

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