Hold the Couscous
While I have been posting about all things Moroccan lately, I thought it was time for a recipe.
In the United States, couscous is often served alongside a tagine (pronounced tah-ZHEEN). However, this is not done In Morocco, where couscous its own course. It may be served either as a main course (especially on Fridays) or — at a large banquet or special occasion — as a course between the soup and the tagine.
Tagines in Morocco are regularly served with khobz; khobz (pronounced KHŌB-ze), is the Moroccan Arabic word for bread. While communal ovens are disappearing, but we saw several in our travels that are still in operation. So that the baker knows whose bread is whose, each homemaker makes her own pattern in the little loaves with a fork or knife slash.
I’ve been back from Morocco for six weeks now, and have looked at and tried several recipes for khobz, but each attempt looked and tasted not quite right. So I did what I always do — tinker with recipes until I came up with one that matched what we had.
I started the process by studying the photos I took of the bakers in communal ovens we visited. I noticed that the bakers dusted each loaf with semolina flour before popping them into the inferno; none of the recipes I saw online did this. This gives the breads a faint crunch in the actual eating of it. I also tested different flour blends until I had a combination that tasted just right with the perfect texture. These breads are quick and easy to make. Aside from serving it with tagines, we like to split the loaves (à la English muffins) and toast them. This is especially good when the bread is a day old; they are best when eaten the day they are made.
~ David
Khobz, Moroccan Bread
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup semolina flour
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 3/4 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon milk
- flour, for kneading
- semolina flour, for dusting
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the three flours, yeast, salt, and sugar.
- Add the olive oil to the warm water, then add to the flour while stirring with a sturdy wooden spoon. Once the dough comes together, knead it a little in the bowl (it will be sticky), making sure to incorporate all the flour. Transfer dough to a well-floured board or counter. Continue kneading, adding a bit of flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and satiny — this should take just a minute or so.
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and set aside in a draft-free place for 15 minutes.
- Deflate the dough and cut into four equal pieces. Knead each piece 2-3 times, then form each piece into a ball. Flatten them somewhat, then further press each into a 5 1/2-inch/14cm disk using your fingers, working outward from the center.
- Dust a pizza peel well with semolina flour, place the disks on the peel, brush each lightly with the milk, then sprinkle tops evenly with semolina flour. Cover again with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
- Place a pizza stone or steel in the top rack of the oven — about 4 inches from the top. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- After the rising is completed, prick the tops with a fork a couple of times, or make a couple of light slashes to create your signature pattern. You can also bake them without a pattern – it doesn’t affect the baking either way, but it is a nice tradition.
- Slide the disks onto the heated pizza stone/steel and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and they sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.
- Cool to almost to room temperature and serve immediately.
- Makes 4 six-inch loaves.
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Mad Dog
July 15, 2023 at 6:11 amThey look delicious and quite easy to make, so there’s no excuse for me not to bake some!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 15, 2023 at 6:23 amThey really are simple to make, and they’re quite good. I hope you enjoy them!
Susan Manfull
July 15, 2023 at 2:17 pmI’ve already made these little gems — with David’s recipe — and they were great! Very authentic, I know having just returned fro Morocco, too!
Cocoa & Lavender
August 10, 2023 at 8:20 amSusan — I am so glad you liked them. To me, they are almost identical to those we had in Morocco. I love the flour blend and the flavor.
Mimi Rippee
July 15, 2023 at 3:02 pmThese look absolutely wonderful. And I bet they taste even better when you’re actually in Morocco.
Cocoa & Lavender
August 10, 2023 at 8:20 amWell, doesn’t everything taste better in Morocco, Mimi?
Pauline
July 16, 2023 at 12:14 amThese look amazing David, and I appreciate that you have worked at it to achieve the perfect result. I love making bread so will give these a try one day. It’s always about having the time to allow the rising of the dough, don’t you think? All of your presentation trays look very authentic as well. Great post, thanks.
Cocoa & Lavender
August 10, 2023 at 8:23 amThank you so much, Pauline. One thing I like about these is that there is only an hour of rising and 2p minutes of baking! Just the other day, I was making a tagine for dinner and had forgotten to bake the bread. But I had an hour before guests arrived and they went into the oven as their car pulled up. They loved smelling the bread bake while we had appetizers. And they were nice and warm still for dinner.
Judee
July 16, 2023 at 9:00 amI seem to really enjoy Morroccan recipes although I have not attempted bread. Your breads look amazing. We were in Morocco only 1 day from a cruise ship. I hope to plan a longer stay there. We loved it.
Cocoa & Lavender
August 10, 2023 at 8:24 amJudee — I do hope you get a chance to get back and see more of the country and eat more of the food. The bread there is different from many breads in North Africa, and I even remembered it from my first trip there 32 years ago!
Sherry
July 16, 2023 at 8:12 pmI remember our nephew years ago telling us he only stayed in morocco for less than a day. He was backpacking on his own and just couldn’t bear the endless touts grabbing him. Your bread on the other hand looks marvellous!
Cocoa & Lavender
August 10, 2023 at 8:25 amA lot has changed with the new king, Sherry — we never had any problems with that at all. I’m sorry your nephew had a bad time.
2pots2cook
July 18, 2023 at 3:37 amI honesty believe these are as tasty as they look. BUT, what I turned my attention to are beautiful dishes and kitchen cloth; I presume all of them coming from beautiful northern Africa! Thank you for another interesting and educational journey!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 21, 2023 at 2:47 pmOh, yes, Davorka, the beautiful ceramics and textiles came from Morocco. The ceramics are a funny story… we had leftover money when we got to the airport and could not exchange it. So we bought ceramics! The textiles/ that is another story. We searched out a weaving, fondouk in Tangier, and bought quite a few pieces from them. You’ll see more in my next post!
angiesrecipes
July 19, 2023 at 8:04 pmRustic and yummy! I love those beautiful dishes, David.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 21, 2023 at 2:43 pmThanks, Angie! The dishes were a last-minute purchase at the airport in Casablanca. We had some leftover Moroccan money and couldn’t exchange it. What else could I do but buy ceramics?
Christina Conte
July 23, 2023 at 9:42 pmI’ve never been to Morocco or had this kind of bread, but it looks legit! 🙂 DELISH!
Cocoa & Lavender
August 10, 2023 at 8:27 amThese maybe be a tiny bit smaller than the breads we had there (I created them to fit four a pizza peel and then on the pizza stone/steel) but they really are legit. Thanks, Christina.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
August 3, 2023 at 3:47 pmI don’t work with dough and bread too often. But when I do, I love mixing up semolina with flour and dust the crust with it (even pizza). This bread looks terrific – such a beautiful and inviting crust!
Cocoa & Lavender
August 10, 2023 at 8:28 amI do hope you try these Ben — they are so much less work than most breads and very flavorful. Semolina is such a great flour!
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
August 10, 2023 at 7:23 amDavid, bread is my favorite food, and these beautiful little loaves will be on my table very soon! In Morocco do they serve it with butter or dipping oil or have it plain?
Cocoa & Lavender
August 10, 2023 at 8:19 amJean — these simple breads have become one of our favorites. Aside from being easy to make, they are versatile. I’m Morocco, they are served plain with your tagine at dinner. But here at home we have slathered them with butter and dipped them in sweet olive oil. One of our favorite ways to use them is to fork-split them like English muffins, brush them with oil, and then run them under the broiler. This works really well when they are a day or two old. I hope you like them!
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