Moroccan Bread
Moroccan Bread
Mamta Gupta
This bread is eaten all over Morocco, mostly bought ready-made fresh at meal times. I picked this recipe on a recent trip to Morocco (November 2008). Makes 2 small breads
Ingredients
250 gm. white strong flour. Plain flour may take a little bit longer to rise.
100 gm. wholemeal bread flour
2 tbs. semolina plus a little for sprinkling on top, before baking
1/2-3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry active yeast (needs re-activating)*
200 ml. lukewarm water
75 ml. lukewarm milk
1 tbsp. olive oil and some for greasing hands and tray
1 tbsp. sesame seeds or anise seeds or fennel seeds
* For bread maker, either reactivate yeast as described in step one or use Easy Bake yeast, which does not need re-activating.
Instructions
Place about 75 ml. of warm water and 2 tbs. of flour in a jug and add yeast. Stir and allow to rest, until it begins to froth a little, 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
Place both the flours, semolina, olive oil and salt in a bowl and make dough, first adding the activated yeast mixture, then milk and then and enough water from the remaining warm water (from 200 ml.)
Knead until smooth. An easier way to do this is to knead until it comes together, leave to rest for 10 minutes and then knead a little more with wetted palms, until smooth. A lot less kneading is required this way.
Divide into 2 portions and make a ball of each portion, pressing a little, so they look like round bread rolls.
Sprinkle semolina on top and then your chosen seeds.
Press very lightly to set the seeds in.
Cover with a clean towel and allow to rise, for 2 hour at room temperature. When it is ready, press it with a finger gently, the dent made should not disappear when you lift your finger.
Preheat oven to 220?C/425?F/Gas mark 6-7.
You can make a cut with a sharp knife, but this is usually not done in morocco.
Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. When you tap the bottom and it sounds hollow, it is ready. Cool on a wire wrack.
Cut in wedges before serving.