Moroccan Kbouz
I learned about this bread through Moroccan family friends from our local mosque. I fell in love with the Moroccan cuisine and their unique ways of combining salty and sweet in their food. I adapted this recipe to use basic ingredients you can find in store. The semolina flour in the recipe helps give the bread the crispy exterior and soft center so don’t skip it!
Recipe:
(makes 8 loaves of bread)
2 1/2 cups water, lukewarm
1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups semolina flour
2 tsp salt
6 tbsp oil (half olive oil half avocado oil or neutral based oil)
1/2 cup semolina flour for coasting
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, add water and yeast and let it rest for 5 minutes until its foamy.
Then add all the remaining ingredients from sugar to oil into the bowl with water and yeast.
Using a dough hook or with your hands, mixing the ingredients until they come together.
Knead the dough for 5-8 minutes until the dough forms a ball and is elastic. If the dough is wet, add one tablespoon of AP flour at a time until it forms a ball.
Allow the dough to rest for at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge. This dough tastes better the longer it rests.
Once the dough has doubled in size and rested, divide it into 8 pieces.
Place the individual doughs on a surface covered with semolina flour.
Form each dough into a round circle or disc that is about 5 inches wide. The press down into the semolina flour on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and complete the rest of the dough. Let it rest covered with a towel for 15 minutes.
Bake at 450 F for 12 minutes on the bottom rack and then place on the top rack for 2 minutes to give it a golden color. Remove from oven.
This bread is enjoyed with any Moroccan stew. I also love to have it for breakfast with cheese, jams, honey, butter, yogurt, eggs, etc.
