Moroccan quick bread (Batbout)
April 20, 2020 • Category: Pastries/Breads
I had a lot of semolina in my pantry and was looking for savory ways to use it; I had remembered that Moroccans had a lot of bread recipes using semolina and stumbled on this one. It is WONDERFUL~ You can shape the dough in a few minutes, by hand, let it rise and then shape the batbout (isn’t it a cute name?) swiftly, cut them with a glass, let them rise again, then bake on top of the stove without a drop of oil. It’s a thrill to see them puff up and delightful to serve hot off the pan.
Batbout
Joumana Accad Mediterranean, Middle Eastern April 20, 2020 Pastries/Breads, semolina, quick bread, moroccan bread, breakfast, tagged,3-5 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Passive Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
1 cup fine semolina
1 cup All-Purpose flour
1 pkg instant dry yeast (1 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp powdered sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup lukewarm water
Instructions
1.Place the semolina, flour and salt in a bowl; mix well. In a small bowl, using a 1/4 cup warm water, dilute the yeast and sugar and place the mixture near a warm stovetop.
2.When the yeast has proofed (bubbles show on the surface), pour the yeast, oil and remaining water on the semolina mixture and start mixing. You should have a firm but somewhat moist dough. Adjust by adding a bit more flour or water till you have the right texture. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with a towel and let it rest in a warm place for 30 minutes or longer, till it has risen.
3. Roll out the dough till it is thinned out to a thickness of about 1/4". Cut into rounds about 4" in diameter. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with paper and let them rise again, about 30 minutes in a warm spot.
4. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place a couple batbout on the skillet and let them cook a minute or so, flipping them quickly to prevent them burning. Keep flipping them until they are thoroughly cooked and somewhat puffy. They should have brown spots throughout. Serve with anything you like, such as jam or cheese or butter and honey.
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Comments
5 Comments • Comments Feed
Doc says:
Very interesting. They look a lot like my English muffins, both inside and out, though the texture will be different. And you do it without any rings. I find that the biggest issue is getting the pan to stabilize at the right temperature. As I remember correctly the surface wants to be around 360°F/180°C, but how you get it to stay there is a more difficult question that depends on both the stove and the pan.
On April 20, 2020 at 5:44 am
Hilma says:
what a GREAT idea. I, too have a few bags of semolina in the freezer (I always put them there in case it had foreign creatures in there) waiting.
On April 20, 2020 at 10:11 am
Alfonso says:
why the powdered sugar? how does it factor into the recipe? thank you
On April 20, 2020 at 12:43 pm
Mel says:
There are two kinds of dried yeast sold in Britain. The older, traditional, dried yeast needs to be activated with warm water and some sugar before it can be added to the flour. I think that this is the sort of yeast used in this recipe.
If you can obtain the newer kind of dried yeast called “easy bake” in Britain you do not need to activate it in water and sugar before you add it to the flour – in fact you get a better result if you just mix it into the other ingredients before you add the liquids.
I use both kinds of yeast, and I use the same quantity of yeast whichever kind I am using.
Of course many people like a very slight sweetness in their breads.
Thank you for this very interesting recipe.
On April 21, 2020 at 11:39 am
RUTH says:
CAN ALSO USE REAL MAPLE SYRUP INSTEAD IF YOU DONT WANT WHITE SUGAR OR EVEN FINE COCONUT SUGAR TO KEEP IT POWDERY IF YOU USE LIQUID YOU MUST TAKE SOME LIQUID OUT OF THE RECEPIE I WONDER IF CAN USE SUGAR LIKE STEVIA AND THE LIKE ???
On December 7, 2020 at 1:13 pm