Rustic Moroccan Loaves Recipes

RUSTIC MOROCCAN LOAVES

Steps:

• Combine the warm water, agave nectar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (not bread hook). Use a wooden spoon or whisk to mix well. Make sure the yeast is completely dissolved.
• Whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, and salt. Add to the yeast mixture in two batches, mixing on medium speed, until the dough is fully combined, about 1 minute.
• Dust a baking sheet liberally with flour mix, flour your hands, and divide the dough into two balls. Place the balls on the baking sheet and shape them into two 5-inch dome-shaped loaves.
• Brush the tops with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil using a pastry brush. Cover with a light dish towel or plastic wrap (but don't wrap it tightly, or you'll inhibit the rise) and let rise in a warm place (85°F) free from drafts. I like to place it in an unheated oven with a pan of hot water placed on the bottom of the oven. If it's a warm day, this won't be necessary. The top of the fridge is good, too. Let rise for 1 hour, or until you can push a finger in to one knuckle deep and the indent remains.
• In the last 20 minutes of your rise, preheat the oven to 350°F. (Remove the bread and pan of water if the loaves are rising in the oven and let them finish their rise somewhere else.)
• Uncover the loaves and use a sharp knife to cut a 1/2-inch deep cross in the top of each loaf. Brush the loaves with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the tops of the loaves with water. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until the bread sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom. It will not brown, so don't use that as your judge. Let cool slightly on cooling racks. Break apart or slice with a serrated knife.

AUTHENTIC MOROCCAN BREAD

Steps:

• Add the sugar to 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Then add the yeast and stir to soften. Let it sit in a warm place until the yeast is bubbly & doubles in volume, roughly 2 minutes.
• Mix the flours & salt in the large mixing bowl. After yeast is ready add it to the flour along with the milk. Add enough lukewarm water to the mixture to form a stiff dough.
• Note:Flours differ in their ability to absorb moisture so no precise amount can be given. Add a small amount at a time. If you have added too much the mixture will be extra sticky and it will be hard to get off your hands. The right consistency should allow the dough to pull easily off your fingers.
• Place the dough onto a lightly floured board & knead hard with closed fists, pushing outward. During the final part of kneading, add 1 tsp of cumin or sesame seeds. It will take between 10-15 minutes to knead the dough thoroughly. You will know it is ready when it achieves a smooth, elastic consistency. (If you are using an electric beater with a dough hook, knead 7-8 minutes on a slow speed.).
• Take the thoroughly kneaded dough & form it into two balls & let it stand for 5 minutes on the board.
• Sprinkle cornmeal onto two baking sheets & place to the side. Then lightly grease a mixing bowl with oil. Transfer the first ball of dough to the bowl. Roll the dough along the sides while rotating bowl with your other hand, this will make the dough into a cone shape.
• Place the dough, wide end down, onto the first baking sheet. Flatten the cone with the palm of your hand to form a disc about 5 inches in diameter with a slightly raised center. Repeat with the second ball. Lightly sprinkle the remaining seeds on top of the bread.
• Cover each disc loosely with a damp towel & let it rise for about 2 hours in a warm place. The dough will be ready when you can gently pole your finger into it & it will not spring back into place.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a fork, poke the bread 3 to 4 times & place in the center shelf of the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then lower the heat to 300 degrees & make 25-30 minutes more.
• To give the bread a nice brown color, turn the oven on broil. Watch the bread carefully, once it is golden, turn it over to brown the other side. Remove from the oven & let cool.
• Note: When done, the bread will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

BASIC MOROCCAN WHITE BREAD (KHOBZ)

Steps:

• Prepare two baking sheets by lightly oiling them or by dusting the pans with a little cornmeal or semolina.
• Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Make a large well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yeast.
• Add the oil and the water to the well, stirring with your fingers to dissolve the yeast first, and then stirring the entire contents of the bowl to incorporate the water into the flour.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and begin kneading the dough, or use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. If necessary, add flour or water in very small amounts to make the dough soft and pliable, but not sticky. Continue kneading for 10 minutes by hand (or 5 minutes by machine), or until the dough is very smooth and elastic.
• Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a smooth circular mound. (If you prefer, you can divide the dough into four to six smaller loaves instead.) Place the dough onto the prepared pans, cover with a towel and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• After the dough has rested, use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough into circles about 1/4-inch thick. Cover with a towel and let rise about 1 hour (longer in a cold room), or until the dough springs back when pressed lightly with a finger.
• Heat an oven to 435 F/225°C.
• Create steam vents by scoring the top of the bread with a very sharp knife or by poking the dough with a fork in several places. Bake the bread for about 20 minutes-rotating the pans about halfway through the baking cycle-or until the loaves are nicely colored and sound hollow when tapped. Transfer the bread to a rack or towel-lined basket to cool.

MY ROUGH KHOUBZ -- MOROCCAN FLAT BREAD.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• This bread should not be "dense" with no air bubble pockets inside. You will need to flatten it as much as you possibly can; pull, stretch and flatten to no more than 1/2 inch. Should it come out dense, then next time cut the dough in three and make 3 loaves. Please don't go by my photo as this batch "over-rose.".
• Combine 1/2 cup flour, sugar, salt, yeast and water in bowl. Stand, covered, in a warm place until bubbly.
• Add remaining flour, and cornmeal into a large bowl. Add the oil. Add yeast mixture to the flour in the bowl.
• Mix with hands well to form a firm dough.
• Knead until smooth.
• Stand, covered, in a warm place 20 minutes.
• Shape into 2 rounds (depending on the diameter you desire as Moroccan bread comes in many sizes right down to little ones for sandwiches). Score the top with a sharp knife 1/8" deep into 4 (cutting an X shape), or using your thumb make a dent in the center nearly deep enough to be a hole, though not all the way through.
• Place on a baking sheet dusted with corn meal and dust the top also with the corn meal gently pushing it into the dough a bit.
• Stand, covered, until nearly doubled. This being so flat and the amount of yeast, it may not exactly double for you in size and that is fine.
• Bake 12-18 minutes.
• If you are making a Moroccan meal and will use bread to eat with you will need at least 2 loaves for 4 people. Cooking time includes standing and is an approximation as flours and temperatures differ.
• This bread freezes well. Simply freeze as you would any bread and defrost at room temperature. I freeze mine in tied white translucent plastic bags, similar to grocery plastic bags.