Fainá

Name: Fainá
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Uruguayan
Ingredients: 250g chickpea flour; 500ml warm water; 4 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp salt; Black pepper; Fresh rosemary (optional)

Fainá (fah-ee-NAH)

Chickpea Flatbread

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour

📈 Difficulty Easy

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 147 kcal

A thin, crispy-edged chickpea flour flatbread baked in a scorching hot oven until golden with dark blistered spots, always served as a companion to pizza — stacked on top of a slice.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 5.0g

Carbs 16.0g

Fat 7.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

vegetarian vegan dairy-free nut-free

Equipment Needed

pizza pan oven whisk

Presentation Guide

Vessel: pizza pan, cut into wedges

Garnishes: black pepper, rosemary

Accompaniments: pizza, muscatel wine

Ingredients

250g chickpea flour
500ml warm water
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
Black pepper
Fresh rosemary (optional)

Instructions

1
Whisk chickpea flour into warm water gradually, ensuring no lumps. Add salt and 2 tbsp olive oil.
2
Let batter rest at room temperature for at least 45 minutes (or up to 4 hours for best results).
3
Preheat oven to maximum (250-280C). Oil a large pizza pan generously with remaining olive oil.
4
Skim any foam from batter surface. Pour batter into the hot oiled pan — it should be very thin.
5
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden with dark spots and edges are crispy.
6
Season with black pepper and rosemary if desired. Cut into wedges.
7
Serve immediately, traditionally placed on top of a pizza slice.

💡

Did You Know?

In Montevideo, ordering 'pizza con faina' means getting a slice of pizza with a slice of faina stacked on top — eating them together in one bite is the authentic Uruguayan way.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

pizza pan
oven
whisk

Garnishing

black pepper, rosemary

Accompaniments

pizza, muscatel wine

The Story Behind Fainá

Faina (from the Genoese farinata) came to Uruguay with the wave of Italian immigrants from Liguria in the late 1800s. While in Genoa it is eaten alone, Uruguayans innovated by pairing it with pizza — the combination of the crispy chickpea bread with melty mozzarella pizza became a uniquely Uruguayan culinary invention found nowhere else.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed pizza accompaniment, anytime 📜 Origins: Genoese Italian immigrant origin, late 19th century

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