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Moroccan barley bread (khobz chair)
Khobz chair: rustic round loaves of barley flour, dense, nutty and made for olive oil
Before white flour became cheap, barley bread was everyday food in much of rural Morocco, from the Rif to the Atlas, and khobz chair is still baked at home and sold in markets by people who love its dense, slightly sweet, nutty crumb. Barley has very little gluten, so the loaves are flat-domed rather than tall, with a crust dusted in barley grits or semolina. Tear it while warm and dip it in olive oil, eat it with bissara, lentils or olives, or spread it with honey and butter at breakfast. A little white flour helps it rise; allow about 1 1/2 hours for rising. Chef's tip: do not keep adding flour to make it less sticky; barley dough is meant to feel tacky, and extra flour, the common mistake, makes a dry, crumbly loaf.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz barley flour, 7 oz strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add 1 ½ cups lukewarm water and 1 tbsp olive oil and mix into a soft, tacky dough.
Step 2: Knead for 8 minutes with lightly oiled hands; it will become smoother but will never be as stretchy as wheat dough.
8 minStep 3: Divide the dough in two and shape each piece into a ball, then flatten into a disc about 2 cm thick and 18 cm across.
Step 4: Scatter 2 tbsp barley grits or coarse semolina over a baking tray lined with baking paper, lay the loaves on it and sprinkle a little more on top. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until puffy and about half as big again.
60 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 425°F while the loaves rise. Prick each loaf 4–5 times with a fork so it does not balloon.
15 minStep 6: Bake until well browned and the bases sound hollow when tapped.
25 minStep 7: Wrap in a tea towel and let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting, so the crumb sets. Serve warm with olive oil.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moroccan barley bread (khobz chair) take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 95 minutes to prepare and 25 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 strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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