Algerian Khobz El Dar -- Semolina Bread
"This is the traditional bread of every home in Algeria, hence it's name which transaltes into English as 'Bread of the House'. Every home has a different version & this particular recipe is from my lovely sister in law 'Um Youcef' ;)
Just a word of warning, if you have never made this kind of bread before, you will be shocked at how sticky & hard to work with the dough is. Unlike a regular bread, when your dough is too sticky you may add more flour - here adding more flour or semolina will make things worse...instead add a little water & knead gently with your fingertips . Water will always make the dough come together & away from your hands & the mixing bowl. You can also knead the dough in a KA or similar mixer with a sturdy dough hook."
photo by Um Safia
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 11
- Yields:
-
1 large loaf
ingredients
- 3 1⁄2 cups fine semolina (my cups hold 12oz, fluid)
- 1 1⁄4 cups strong white bread flour
- 2 cups water, room temp. plus extra
- 4 fluid ounces sunflower oil (or vegetable, canola etc.)
- 7 g fast action yeast
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large egg yolks, beaten
- 2 -3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon nigella seeds (optional)
directions
- Grease a large round metal tin / pan (approx 12" across / wide & 1.5" high / deep).
- Place the semolina, flour, yeast, sugar & salt in a very large mixing bowl. (In Algeria we traditionally use huge but shallow wooden bowls for mixing doughs.)
- Make a well in the centre & add the beaten egg & the oil along with 1 cup of water. Mix well, adding more water when necessary.
- Keep mixing until you have a soft dough. Now knead the dough for around 30 minutes until it is soft, smooth & elastic. You will need to add a little water from time to time as the semolina absorbs it.
- If you are having problems with a very sticky dough, don't worry - if you've used the correct amounts of ingredients, everything will be OK - just keep kneading & add dribbles of water to bring the dough back together again.
- After 30 minutes, mix in the nigella seeds if using then with wet hands bring the dough together in a ball.
- Place the dough in the greased pan & with wet hands, gently push the dough until it completely covers the base of the pan.
- Sprinkle a little semolina over the top, cover with a kitchen towel & leave to rise until doubled in size.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C
- Brush the top of the dough with the egg yolks & sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Using a skewer, make 6 pricks -going all the way through the dough - 5 evenly spaced holes 1" from the edge & 1 hole in the centre (This will make sure that the bread cooks evenly).
- Place in the upper 1/3 of the oven & cook for approx 35 minutes or until a deep golden colour & sounding hollow when tapped.
- Remove from the oven & allow to cool for 5 minutes bfore turning out onto a kitchen towel. Wrap the bread in the towle & allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Questions & Replies
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Reviews
-
This was a pretty good bread. The texture was almost like cornbread, and the crust was a little soft but still nice. The loaf was a little crumbly. -
Hi there! This is Shehzeen. I tried this recipe on 28.10.2020 and it turned out pretty good. It was delicious. It gave me true flavors of Algeria. The only this that wasn't perfect in this dish that wasn't perfect was the fluffiness of the bread. The bread wasn't as light as I expected. But at the end of the day taste and flavor is what matters the most. -
This bread is so easy and so good. We had it with a four bean soup. Didn't have nigella seed, though. My pan was a little small so it really rose and had a mushroom shaped top, but so tasty. I let my mixer knead the bread and just kept an eye on it and added a little more water as it worked. -
I just used what I had out of the recipe and had to finagle some things, but it turned out really well surprisingly, which makes me feel like this recipe is solid and must have fairly consistent results (unlike some bread recipes). I did not have the simsim, refused to use my black seed in a recipe that i hadnt tried before, was conservative with my eggs, and did not have fine semolina. Instead of the fine semolina I used coarse semolina and only used about a cup of it and substituted the rest in all purpose white flour. Also, I only used the one egg for the actual bread and not the multiple yolks for the browning. HOWEVER, my results were very very good. I got a nice round loaf of bread that was nice and soft in the middle, a crispy on the outside. The loaf browned very well without the egg yolk wash, and had a nice tan color. The bread is nice and sturdy, so for those who aren't accustomed to a good ole pain de maison, don't expect Wonder bread. It is a sturdy bread for soaking up and eating other foods, almost acting as its own kind of utensil. <br/><br/>PS. I really love Um Safia's recipes! As an American wife of an Algerian man too (with inlaws who dont speak any english and a listening-reading only (nonexpressive) understanding of French or Arabic..), I really appreciate her sharing her knowledge with others. It can be VERY VERY difficult to find authentic Algerian recipes. I really appreciate when she provides information on the regions that foods come from, because it makes a big difference when you think you are doing something really cool like making tli tli (which is often eaten in the eastern part of the country) to surprise your western Algerian husband and he looks at you like, what the crap is this? We don't eat this back home they eat this in... or you think you've got a good Algerian recipe and he goes "Why do you cook so much Moroccan food". *wallbash*. So, Thanks Um Safia!
Tweaks
-
Instead of adding more water, I remember my mother in law adding olive oil and only using olive oil in this recipe as that is what they traditionally use in the Kabyle regions of Algeria. Water will make it stickier whereas the olive oil helps it to keep its shape and lubricates it from sticking to everything. ?? shout out to all the family in Tizi Ouzou region in Algeria! Miss you so much. Can't wait for Covid19 to go so we can come back to visit. -
I just used what I had out of the recipe and had to finagle some things, but it turned out really well surprisingly, which makes me feel like this recipe is solid and must have fairly consistent results (unlike some bread recipes). I did not have the simsim, refused to use my black seed in a recipe that i hadnt tried before, was conservative with my eggs, and did not have fine semolina. Instead of the fine semolina I used coarse semolina and only used about a cup of it and substituted the rest in all purpose white flour. Also, I only used the one egg for the actual bread and not the multiple yolks for the browning. HOWEVER, my results were very very good. I got a nice round loaf of bread that was nice and soft in the middle, a crispy on the outside. The loaf browned very well without the egg yolk wash, and had a nice tan color. The bread is nice and sturdy, so for those who aren't accustomed to a good ole pain de maison, don't expect Wonder bread. It is a sturdy bread for soaking up and eating other foods, almost acting as its own kind of utensil. <br/><br/>PS. I really love Um Safia's recipes! As an American wife of an Algerian man too (with inlaws who dont speak any english and a listening-reading only (nonexpressive) understanding of French or Arabic..), I really appreciate her sharing her knowledge with others. It can be VERY VERY difficult to find authentic Algerian recipes. I really appreciate when she provides information on the regions that foods come from, because it makes a big difference when you think you are doing something really cool like making tli tli (which is often eaten in the eastern part of the country) to surprise your western Algerian husband and he looks at you like, what the crap is this? We don't eat this back home they eat this in... or you think you've got a good Algerian recipe and he goes "Why do you cook so much Moroccan food". *wallbash*. So, Thanks Um Safia!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
ABOVE: My eldest, Talha with his 'Zaar Star!
I'm 29 years old and have been cooking since I was old enough to wield a wooden spoon! My Mum is a fantastic cook and both my Grandmas were great cooks too.
I've also had the pleasure of working in two commercial kitchens - one which I ran and the other I was second chef of.
You can find me lurking in the NA*ME (North Africa / Middle East) Forum where I am a host:
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I am fortunate enough to have 2 children of my own now and enjoy cooking with my eldest who is almost 8 years old. My daughter is almost 3 & has now started joining me in the kitchen & 'helping'. She likes to stand on a chair next to me, give instructions & stir.
We eat food from all over the world but my husband prefers it like 'mama used to make' or in his case ''like yemma makes it'' as he is Algerian! We are currently living in the UK after living in Algeria for a while. You will notice that I have posted quite a few Algerian classics.
If I had the time and the money, I would spend all day every day trying new recipes! My husband has a 'recipe score' which is this:
1: "Add it to your recipe book - I loved it and wanna eat this again soon!"
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3: "I cleared my plate but don't expect me to eat this again...ever."
However, I rate 'Zaar recipes the by the 'Zaar standard, so don't worry. Oh and fyi, I have a problem being negative so will probably NEVER give a rating less that 4*!!!
Other than cooking, I love anything arty-crafty and enjoy painting when I get the chance, which is rarely these days. I used to sell a lot of my creations and do things to order but just don't have the time at the moment.
I have a passion for gardening almost as strong as that for cooking. I tend to have 90% of it in pots though as I can't bear to leave it behind when we move - therefore we don't have a lot of stuff that we'd like to have as it wouldn't like being confined to a pot! I take great pride in my garden and love the summer months (the few that we get in the UK) when we can eat outside... and being a typical man, my husband likes any excuse to get the BBQ going - enough said!
By the way; I'm on a mission to re-educate people about soaking cous cous for use in North African recipes.,,just so you all know....it is traditionally STEAMED & not soaked!
Most of the North African recipes I have have been taught to me by my mother in law, sisters in law etc. A few have come from very old cookbooks. It has taken me a long time to get the dishes into some kind of recipe form as basically we "eyeball" the majority of the ingredients. Bear with me whilst I try to get the rest of the recipes in order!...
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I think we should all smile more - myself included....
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