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Medfouna
Medfouna — Rissani's Berber 'pizza' of bread stuffed with spiced meat and onion
Out on the edge of the Sahara around Rissani and Merzouga, medfouna means 'buried', because the stuffed bread was traditionally baked in hot sand next to a fire. Two rounds of soft yeast dough enclose a filling of spiced beef, lots of onion, parsley and a little fat, and the whole thing bakes into a golden, crusty pie that is cut into wedges like a pizza. It is road-trip food, market-day food and the meal desert guides cook for travellers, eaten hot with mint tea. Chef's tip: squeeze the chopped onion and drain the cooked filling well; dry filling means a crisp base instead of a soggy one.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Mix the 10 ½ oz plain flour, 3 ½ oz wholemeal flour, 1 tsp instant dried yeast and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the 1 cup warm water and 1 tbsp olive oil and bring together into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Step 2: Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and springy. Put in an oiled bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
10 minStep 3: While the dough rises, heat the 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the 14 oz minced beef. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking it up, until it has lost its raw colour. Keep a separate board for raw meat.
5 minStep 4: Add the 2 onions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 ½ tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp ras el hanout, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and cook for 6–8 minutes over a medium heat until the onion is soft and the meat is cooked through to 160°F (160 °F). Pre-cooking the filling means the centre of the bread is safe even if the bake is short.
8 minStep 5: Tip the filling into a sieve and let the fat drain off for 10 minutes, then stir in the 4 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley and the almonds and chopped eggs if using. Let it cool. A common mistake is spreading a hot, greasy filling on the dough: the base turns soggy and tears.
10 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan) with a heavy baking tray or pizza stone inside.
Step 7: Knock back the dough and divide it in half. On a sheet of baking paper, pat or roll one half into a 28 cm round about 5 mm thick.
Step 8: Spread the filling evenly over the round, leaving a 2 cm border. Roll the second half to the same size and lay it on top.
Step 9: Press the edges together firmly and pinch or fold them over to seal. Prick the top all over with a fork and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 10: Slide the medfouna on its paper onto the hot tray. Bake for 25–30 minutes until deep golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped.
28 minStep 11: Rest on a rack for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve hot.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does medfouna take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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