Delicious Algerian Tomato Coca with Homemade Dough

5.0 from 2 votes

Turn on the oven and follow this recipe for a delicious Algerian Coca. With a very easy to make dough and a quick to put together filling. Just fry some onions, add grated tomato and spices to your liking, this recipe couldn't be easier!

Is there someone who doesn't like a "coca" with tomato? I love it, but I also have to say that I am a great lover of savory food. If you are one of those who love "cocas", you are going to love this one, a "coca" filled with a delicious natural tomato sauce, onion and spices.
This is a great meal during summertime accompanied by a nice salad like this Greek salad.

When making a dough, things can get complicated, and a lot. But in this blog, Recipes by Oum Bilal, I am willing to show you that cooking can be easier than you think. So, whether you are a pro in the kitchen or you are new to the kitchen, this recipe walks you through it step by step and makes making an Algerian Coca easier.
I´m sure you are going to love it!

Ingredients that I've used to make this delicious Algerian Coca

This recipe is divided into two parts, the first part is to prepare the dough and the second part is making the filling while the dough rests. Below, you can find the exact amounts.

To make the dough:

• Flour:for this recipe, you need 500 grams of all-purpose flour. It's good to have some extra to dust the kitchen counter or if you need to add some more to the dough in case it remains sticky.
• Oil:I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I love the taste it gives to the dough. But, if you don't like it very much or would like to use a cheaper oil, you can use, for example, Sunflower Oil
• Milk: this dough requires milk, the best milk to use is full fat milk. You can change it for semi-skimmed, skimmed milk, vegetable milk and even water (although milk gives it a richer flavor)
• Bakery yeast: for this recipe you need one bag of baker's yeast
• Sugar: to activate the yeast, you need a tablespoon of white sugar
• Salt: I use table salt, but you can use the same amount of pink Himalayan salt. I always use the salt towards the end of the recipe to allow the yeast to do its job. Mixing the yeast with the salt can stop the yeast from doing what it needs to do, and possibly the dough won't rise
• Egg: a medium egg mixed with a tablespoon of water is needed to brown the dough. This mixture is put on top of the dough with a pastry brush

To make the filling:

• Onion: I've used two large onions in this recipe, but feel free to use spring onions if you prefer
• Olive oil: use extra virgin olive oil to fry the onions, but you can change it for any other type of oil
• Garlic: add extra flavor using garlic
• Tomatoes: try to find the best tomatoes you can, the flavor of the filling will depend on this
• Concentrated tomato paste: add concentrated tomato to add more flavor
• Ras el Hanout: this is a mixture of Arabic spices, nowadays you can get it in any supermarket
• Sweet paprika: use sweet paprika
• Hot paprika: use hot paprika if you like spicy, use half a teaspoon, this way the sauce will have a low/medium heat. You can add more if you would like a spicier filling
• Fresh parsley: add fresh parsley for the final touch
• Chicken breast: Adding chicken to this recipe is optional, but tomato sauce mixed with diced chicken breast works great. In addition, it adds some extra protein

Decoration:

• Black olives: you can use black olives with or without bone, as you prefer. I always use black olives with bones, for some reason I like them better

Kitchen tools you need to make this argelina coca

Grab all your kitchen utensils... and let's get started! Below, you have a list of all the kitchen utensils that you will need to make this recipe.

• Cutting board: you need a cutting board to cut the vegetables
• Knife to chop the vegetables: use your favorite knife to chop the vegetables
• Large oven tray: the Algerian coca takes up a large oven tray
• Large bowl to make the dough: to make the dough you need a large bowl
• Grater: to grate the tomatoes, use a grater
• Baking Paper: to prevent the dough from sticking to the baking tray, use a sheet of baking paper
• Spatulause a spatula to stir the ingredients
• Frying panuse a frying pan to make the filling
• Roller: you need a rolling pin to stretch the dough
• Two kitchen towels: to cover the dough, use damp kitchen towels, or alternatively, cling film
• Garlic press: if you have a garlic press, use it to press the garlic, otherwise you can cut the garlic very finely
• Pastry brush: the coca has an egg wash on top, use a pastry brush to paint the dough with egg

How to make a perfect Algerian Coca

This recipe is not only delicious, but it's also much easier to make than it seems. I have divided the recipe into three parts so that at each moment you know what step you are going for:

Part 1 - Make the dough

Start by mixing 2/3 of the warm milk with the yeast and sugar, stir and let stand for 5-10 minutes until the yeast does its job and starts to foam. Add the oil and half of the flour, mix with a spatula. You will see that you get a smooth and greasy dough. Add the salt and the rest of the flour, at this point you have to knead by hand until you have a dough without lumps.

If necessary, add the remaining milk bit by bit, the dough has to be soft and not sticky. Knead it for about 5 minutes.

Divide the dough in two. You can do this cutting it into two or you can weigh the dough on a scale and divide the result that it has given you by two. Put each ball of dough in a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth, or you can also use plastic wrap. Let the two balls of dough rest for about an hour. While the dough rests, you proceed to make the filling.

Part 2 - Make the filling

Chop the onions very small and add them to a hot pan with olive oil, let them soften and meanwhile grate the tomatoes. If you add chicken breast, cut it into small pieces and add it along with the onion. When the chicken is done, add the grated tomato. If you don't add chicken, add the grated tomato as soon as the onion is soft. At this point you can also add the garlic together with the tomato, you can use a garlic press like I do, or you can chop the garlic very finely with a knife. Leave for about 10 minutes on medium heat.

Now it's time to add the other ingredients, add the concentrated tomato, parsley, spices and salt and pepper to taste. Leave for about 15 more minutes over medium heat for the sauce to reduce and the tomato liquid to evaporate.

When you see that the tomato sauce is done, turn off the heat so that it cools down a bit until the dough is ready.

Part 3 - Assemble the Algerian Coca

Preheat the oven at 210º.

You can spread the dough (size of the baking tray) with a rolling pin on top of the counter, sprinkle the counter with flour so that the dough does not stick to you. To be able to put it on the baking tray, you can carefully roll the dough on the rolling pin and transfer it to the tray. Or, you can use a baking paper the size of the baking tray and spread the dough on top of the paper. Once you have done this, place the dough on the baking tray.

Now it's time to make the top part, use the same process as before.

Put the tomato sauce on the dough, leaving a border of 1 cm or so. Put the upper part over it and close all the sides of the Algerian Coca by taking the lower part, raising it a little above the upper part and pressing it down to close it. Paint the dough with the egg and water mixture, and then decorate it with the black olives. Put the olives in such a way that when you cut it into squares it will be in the middle.

Finally, cut the coca as in the image before putting it in the oven.

Bake it until golden brown, about 25 minutes, depending on your oven, this can be more or less, so keep an eye on it from time to time.

Once it's done, take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Below I answer some frequently asked questions, if you do not find the answer, you can leave a comment below.

Is it normal for the dough to be sticky?

No, the dough does not have to be sticky. If this is your case, add a little flour and knead it until you get a firm, non-sticky dough.

Can I add other vegetables and other ingredients to the sauce?

Of course! I encourage you to give personal touches to any of my recipes. Add other vegetables or you can even add pieces of chicken breast, hard-boiled egg, cheese or any ingredient you fancy.

How do I store the leftovers?

Store the coca in the refrigerator in a tightly closed tupperware for about 3 days. When you are going to consume it, you can heat it for a few seconds in the microwave, in the oven and it is also very good cold.

Save this Algerian Coca recipe on Pinterest!

Save this recipe on Pinterest so that you won't lose it. Like this, when you go are going to make it, you don't go crazy looking for this recipe on the website. You just have to click on the Pinterest button below where it says “Spread the love”, and this recipe will automatically be saved on a board on your Pinterest account.

With what to serve with this Algerian Coca

Are you wondering what to serve with this recipe? Here are some ideas:

There is nothing better than serving this coca with a nice greek salad, with its fresh vegetables and feta cheese, or a fresh coleslaw. These warm summer month serve it with a nice cold glass of homemade lemonade.

Enjoy it!

If you like this recipe, check out the following recipes

If you like this recipe for Algerian Coca, you will probably also like the following dough recipes:

• Make your own Baguettes at home, it doesn't need kneading and they are absolutely delicious.
• This recipe for Homemade Crunchy Bread Rolls you will love them, you will have bread rolls that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
• If you want to surprise your guests or your family with a delicious special breakfast, make this Special Brioche Bread Flavored with Orange Blossom.
• I'm sure that if you have tried this Algerian Coca and you liked it, you will have incredible success with this Pizza Carrée. It's an Algerian pizza, which may seem boring at first, but you will 100% change your mind when you try it!

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