Recipe: Coca de Sant Joan

Sant Joan, June 24th, marks the time when Catalans (loudly) celebrate the summer solstice. Throughout the night, from sunset on the 23rd to sunrise on the 24th, fires are lit on high ground and fireworks set off in towns large and small, ensuring that no-one can be left unaware that a new season is upon us.

And as on many other special Catalan days, there is special food to accompany it—the coca de Sant Joan. Coca cakes are made in all shapes and sizes, but this oval coca made with glazed fruit is one of the originals and, according to legend, it was once made in a round shape to represent the sun.

Ingredients (for four people)

Part One:

• 50 g yeast
• 125 ml warm water
• 250 g flour

Part two:

• 175 g sugar
• pinch of salt
• 150 g soft butter
• 4 eggs, beaten
• grated peel of half a lemon
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• sprinkling of aniseed
• 70 ml milk
• 70 ml orange flower water (neroli)
• 750 g flour

Part Three:

• 150 g glazed fruit (a mixture of orange, melon & cherries)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 100 g pine nuts
• 60 g granulated sugar

Method

1. Dissolve the yeast with the water and stir in with the 250 g of flour.
2. Gently knead the ingredients to make a dough. Cover the mixture with a clean cloth and let it ferment for half an hour—it should double in size.
3. In a separate mixing-bowl, put the sugar, salt, soft butter, beaten eggs, grated lemon peel, cinnamon, aniseed, milk and orange flower water. Stir well then add the yeast mixture and work the mass for a couple of minutes.
4. Now add the second quantity of flour and keep kneading for 25 minutes or until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers.
5. With your hands, form it into the typical long oval shape of a coca, and make it about one centimeter thick.
6. Next, lay the coca on a greased oven tray and arrange the pieces of glazed fruit on the top. This is normally done in a symmetrical pattern, although you can do your own design.
7. Cover with a clean cloth and let it stand for a good hour—it should once again double in volume. With the single beaten egg, paint the top of the coca using a pastry brush. Scatter the pine nuts over it and then the sugar.
8. Put the coca into the oven at 220ºC (gas mark 7) for a quarter of an hour, until it has a golden color.
9. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Serve with chilled cava and enjoy!