Coca de Escalivada: Catalan Roasted Vegetable Flatbread 2026

Coca de escalivada is a traditional Catalan flatbread topped with escalivada, a mix of oven-roasted red pepper, onion and eggplant that is peeled and cut into strips. The base is a soft, slightly oily bread dough that bakes up crisp at the edges and tender in the middle, so every slice carries sweet, smoky vegetables.

The vegetables are roasted whole until soft and lightly charred, then covered while they cool so the skins slip off easily. That slow roasting is what gives the topping its deep, sweet flavor, and it can be done ahead of time and kept in the fridge.

Serve it warm, cut into portions, as an appetizer, a light lunch or part of a relaxed dinner spread. A few anchovies laid on top right after baking are a classic addition if you want an extra savory note.

Ingredients for Coca de Escalivada

This makes 4 servings.

• 1 red pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 eggplant
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Thyme leaves, to serve (optional)
• 180 g wheat flour
• 1.5 g salt
• 3 g dry baker's yeast
• 20 ml olive oil (plus a little more for brushing)
• 80 ml warm water

How to Make Coca de Escalivada Step by Step

1. Roast the Vegetables

First, prepare the escalivada. Place 1 washed red pepper, 1 whole onion and 1 washed eggplant on a baking tray. Drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and roast at 180 °C for 30 minutes, turning them halfway through so they cook evenly.

2. Peel and Cut the Roasted Vegetables

Take the vegetables out of the oven, cover them or put them in a heat-resistant bag and let them cool like that so the skins come off more easily. Once cold, peel the pepper and the eggplant, remove the pepper seeds and cut everything into strips. Season lightly with salt and set aside.

3. Mix the Dry Dough Ingredients

To make the dough, mix 180 g wheat flour, 1.5 g salt and 3 g dry baker's yeast in a bowl.

4. Add the Oil and Water

Pour in 20 ml olive oil and 80 ml warm water, then stir until a rough dough forms.

5. Knead and Shape into a Ball

Knead for 8 minutes by hand or with a stand mixer on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape it into a ball, cover with a cloth and let it rise for 1 hour in a warm, draft-free spot, such as inside a closed, switched-off oven.

6. Let the Dough Rise

After the rising time the dough should have doubled in size, looking puffy and full of air.

7. Deflate and Shape the Coca

Press the dough down to release the air and shape the coca by stretching it into an elongated oval about 12 x 30 cm on a floured work surface.

8. Let It Rise Again

Cover the shaped coca with a very clean cotton cloth and let it rise again for 45 minutes.

9. Top the Dough with the Escalivada

Brush the dough with a little olive oil and cover it with the sliced escalivada vegetables. Preheat the oven to 200 °C; meanwhile the dough will finish rising with the vegetables on top.

10. Bake at 200 °C for 20 Minutes

Bake the coca de escalivada for 20 minutes at 200 °C until it is golden and crisp.

11. Serve the Coca de Escalivada

Serve the coca de escalivada warm and cut into portions as an appetizer or as part of a casual dinner. Optionally, decorate it with a little thyme sprinkled over the top.

Tips for the Best Coca de Escalivada

Roast the Vegetables Whole and Slowly

Baking the pepper, onion and eggplant whole at 180 °C for 30 minutes keeps them juicy and concentrates their sweetness. Covering them while they cool traps the steam, which makes the skins easy to pull away without tearing the flesh.

Give the Dough Both Rises

The dough needs its full hour in a warm, draft-free place and then another 45 minutes once shaped. Skipping or rushing either rise gives you a dense base instead of the crisp-edged, airy crumb that makes a good coca.

Add Anchovies or Thyme at the End

For a more savory version, lay a few anchovies on the coca right after it comes out of the oven so they soften without drying out. A sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves over the warm flatbread is a simple way to brighten the roasted vegetables.

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If you're anything like me, your kitchen rotation probably includes a little bit of everything—cozy comfort classics, tried-and-true dishes from around the globe, and sweets that make everyone happy.

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After years of cooking, testing, and tweaking in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the finest dishes are built on three things: simplicity, dependable technique, and serious flavor.

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