Flat and Sassy: Khobz Moroccan Flat Bread

We’re dining tonight with our friends Yvonne and Steve and Yvonne is treating us to a Moroccan meal. My Mom taught me to “ring the doorbell with my elbows” (meaning that my hands were full with something I brought to my hosts) so I offered to make some Moroccan bread to accompany our meal.

A quick search around the Internet yielded lots of recipes and some interesting information. According to About.com, “During a traditional Moroccan meal, khobz often replaces utensils such as forks or spoons as it is used to scoop up meat, vegetables, sauce, salads, dips and more.” My recipe search then led me to a lovely website called Cooking with Alia: The Flavors of Morocco and this authentic recipe for Moroccan bread. I can just imagine scooping up a big mouthful of a fragrant tagine with some of it! The original recipe calls for 30 minutes of hand kneading, but I knew that my trusty friend Thermomix could do the same job in a much shorter time 😉

Moroccan Flat Bread (Khobz)
Recipe from Cooking with Alia. Adapted for Thermomix by Madame Thermomix. Give yourself a few extra minutes to let the yeast fully develop and you’ll be delighted with the results! Makes 2 flat crusty loaves.

Ingredients
250 g water
1 ½ tsp (1 packet) dry yeast or 20 g fresh yeast
1 ½ tsp sugar
500 g strong white bread flour
1 tsp anise seeds
3 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 ½ tsp salt

Method

1. Activate the yeast: weigh the water into the TM bowl; add yeast and sugar and gently warm 37° C/5 minutes/Speed Spoon. Your yeast mixture will be lovely and bubbly. Leave for another five minutes to fully develop for even more flavour. (Tip: if you’re really pressed for time you can skip this step and simply add all ingredients and proceed as per Step 2.)
2. Weigh in the flour using Thermomix’s built-in weighing scales, add the other ingredients, and mix the dough 20 seconds/Speed 3 or until it comes away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Now knead the dough 2 minutes/Kneading function. Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and use your Thermomix spatula to cut it into two equal portions (or more, such as for individual loaves or other shapes). Shape into round, flat loaves and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Prick each loaf a few times with a fork. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
4. Bake in a preheated 200° C/400° F oven for 25 – 35 minutes or until golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Again according to About.com, “Different types of flour can be used to make khobz. Exactly what goes into each loaf, and how large or small it is shaped, is a matter of personal preference. White, semolina, wheat, rye, bran and barley are some of the flours that might be used, while anise and cumin seeds are just two additions that could be added for extra flavor.” If you use a denser, dryer type of flour such as wholemeal, increase the water to 280 g and knead for 3 minutes.

Bon appétit !

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