Matlouh
Matlouh: Algiers's soft yeasted semolina flatbread, risen and cooked on a tajine griddle
In Algiers and all over Algeria, homemade matlouh is the bread of choice for Ramadan iftar and for dipping into chorba or chakchouka. The dough is made with fine semolina and yeast, almost as wet as a batter, left to rise until airy, then shaped into thick rounds and cooked on a clay tajine or a heavy frying pan rather than in an oven. The result is soft and springy inside, with a thin, freckled, golden crust and the sweet, nutty taste of semolina. Eat it warm, torn by hand. Chef's tip: keep your hands wet with water, not floured, when shaping the sticky dough; flour makes the crust dry and floury.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb fine semolinaplus extra for dusting
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups warm waterabout
- 1 tbsp olive oilfor the pan
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb fine semolina, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add 1 ¾ cups warm water gradually, kneading and slapping the dough in the bowl for 10–12 minutes, until it is very soft, smooth and slightly stretchy. It will be stickier than wheat dough; that is right.
12 minStep 2: Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled and full of bubbles.
Step 3: Wet your hands, divide the dough into 4 and gently shape each into a ball without knocking out all the air. Lay them on a tray dusted with semolina and flatten each to a round about 1.5 cm thick.
Step 4: Cover and leave to rise again for 20–30 minutes, until puffy.
Step 5: Heat a heavy frying pan or tajine griddle over a medium-low heat and wipe it with a little 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook one round for 4–5 minutes, until the underside is golden with dark freckles.
5 minStep 6: Flip and cook the other side for 4–5 minutes, then turn it onto its edge and roll it around the pan for a minute to cook the sides. The common mistake is too high a heat: the outside burns while the inside stays doughy. A cooked bread sounds hollow when tapped.
6 minStep 7: Wrap the breads in a clean tea towel as they come off so they stay soft, and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does matlouh take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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