Khobz: Moroccan Bread

Method

1. First up, activate the dried yeast with 2 tablespoons of warm water and a drizzle of honey or pinch of sugar – let it sit for 20 minutes to wake up from its dormant slumber. Then weigh all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and pour in the water, oil and activated yeast. If you are using a stand mixer, mix for 3 minutes on a slow speed and 4 minutes on a medium speed. If you are mixing by hand, then try to get to the stage where the dough is silky and smooth, which will take anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on how much welly you give it.
2. Let the dough rest for 40 minutes to an hour, covered, in a warm spot (ideally, cover with a damp cloth or sealed lid so the dough doesn’t dry out and form a skin). Next, scatter some semolina or polenta on the work surface and tip the dough out, using a dough scraper to tease it from the bowl. Divide into 6 or 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Leave to rest under a dry cloth for 10 minutes.
3. Use a rolling pin or your hands to flatten each ball of dough to about 0.5cm (1/4 in) thick. You want a round even disc, pitted with semolina on both sides – you can be liberal with this as it gives the crust a lovely texture. Place the dough discs on a dry cloth dusted with semolina and cover with another cloth. Leave to prove for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, get your pizza oven (or similar) up to 250–300°C. Use the cloth to flip each dough disc onto a pizza peel or board. Dust once more with semolina if you think it needs it and press irregular holes into the dough to stop it ballooning in the oven. These babies don’t take long to bake; 5–10 minutes at most. If you’re using a frying pan over the fire, you’ll need to flip the dough halfway through.
5. When they’re done, store them in a cloth to keep them warm and soft. Ideally, eat immediately, but definitely on the same day as they can dry out pretty quickly. If they do go stale, tear them into a salad or use them to make breadcrumbs.