Khobz – traditional Moroccan bread

(kesra, agroum)

I have 3 variations of recipe. The 2d and the 3d are better up to my taste – the bread is softer. You can exclude semolina, if you don’t have it. But semolina gives khobz a crispy crust. Without semolina – no crispy crust, I’ve tried =)) The recipe is easy but like it goes with any kind of dough – it needs time to rise. Moroccans bake khobz every day, because on the 2d day it becomes stale.

Ingredients, variation #1:

• 180 g of wheat all-purpose flour
• 80 g of semolina
• 135 ml of warm water (+36-40°C)
• 0,5 tsp of: dry yeast, sugar and salt
• 1 tbsp of oil
• Some semolina for covering khobz

Ingredients, variation #2:

• 240 g of wheat all-purpose flour
• 120 ml of warm water (+36-40°C)
• 0,5 tsp of: dry yeast, sugar and salt
• 1 tbsp of oil
• Some semolina for covering khobz

Ingredients, variation #3:

• 220 g of wheat all-purpose flour
• 20 g of semolina
• 125 ml of warm water (+36-40°C)
• 0,5 tsp of: dry yeast, sugar and salt
• 1 tbsp of oil
• Some semolina for covering khobz

Instructions

According to the advice on the package of your dry yeast add it to the flour or to the water (in this case wait several minutes). Combine all dry ingredients, then add water and oil. Knead the dough. In the end it should not stick to your hands. If the dough remains too sticky – add some flour. One should knead the dough thoroughly, so it’s easier to do in a food processor.

Leave the dough in a covered bowl for 30 min.

Knead the dough one more time and give it a shape of a ball. Cover the ball with semolina (if semolina doesn’t stick to the dough, help it slightly pressing with fingertips). Leave the ball covered for 15 min.

Add some semolina to the parchment paper (or right to the baking sheet if you don’t use paper). Put the dough on it and shape a flat round (0,7-1 cm thick). Top it with some semolina, cover with a plastic food wrap and leave to rest for 1 hour.

Khobz will rise twice and when you lightly press the dough, it should spring back.

Preheat the oven to 220°C, convection mode. When the oven is ready, put the plastic wrap away and make 3 cuts on the top of khobz (they should not be deep, only light scars) or poke 4-5 times with a fork . Baking time 10-15 min. It depends on your oven. When khobz is ready, it is golden brown and sounds hollow if you tap it.

Leave khobz to rest on a rack (if the bottom of bread will touch something the lower crust will soften).