Cooking with John - Coca de Trampó

John McCollum's Coca de Trampó - a tasty savoury snack

If you’re already fed up with winter, this Mediterranean treat might make you think of sunnier climes. Coca is a traditional Spanish flatbread from the Catalan region and ensalada de trampó is a traditional Balearic salad. Combined they give you a delicious Mallorquin dish usually served for breakfast but which can be eaten at any time and is a great party food.

It consists of a dough and a topping so can be made in separate steps and both can be prepared and stored in the fridge the day before you cook it.

Step 1. For the topping I use

• 4 large tomatos

• 3 small to medium onions

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 2 green bell peppers (though from the photo you might notice I used the peppers I had in the fridge!)

• 4 tablespoons of olive oil

• A tablespoon of vinegar

• A tablespoon of paprika

• A pinch of salt and pepper and a dash of soya sauce.

You could also add some Worcestershire sauce though then it will no longer be vegan.

Dice the vegetables and mix everything together.

Step 2. For the dough I use

• 300g plain flour

• Teaspoon of sugar

• ½ teaspoon of salt

• 2 teaspoons of dry yeast

• 75ml of olive oil

• 150ml of warm water

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the middle to pour in the liquid ingredients. Starting with a spatula (a silicon one is good) gently bring it together, then once it as all mostly combined you can use your hands.

Step 3.

Cover the dough and let sit for at least 30mins in a warm place to rise. I’ve over-worked the dough (with live yeast) and it has failed to rise before, I just went ahead and made it and just had a crispier base.

Step 4.

On a floured surface knead out the dough and roll flat into a rough rectangle, then move to a lightly oiled baking tray and squish out to cover the bottom. Drain and spoon on your mixture (the liquid can be used as a salad dressing base) and spread out evenly.

Step 5.

Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for 25-30 mins or until the vegetables are soft and slightly crispy and the base is crunchy.

—John McCollum, January 2026