Khobz dyal Smida is a Moroccan Semolina Bread recipe, easy to prepare and multi purpose as it can be used as breakfast baguette, as starter with dips or to soak up delicious stews.
The bread is soft inside with a slightly chewy crust. Actually the texture depends a lot on the ratio of flour to semolina, the more semolina you use, the more chewy crust you shall get. The recipe I use doesn’t require much kneading because I keep the dough quite wet. You won’t need to roll the dough or stretch it with your hands to give shape to the breads. All you need to do is to fold the dough with a plastic spatula till it is stretchy and flexible, leave it to rise and then plop it on the baking dish with a serving spoon and roughly shape into discs with the same spoon.
This easy to make bread is what we love to have freshly baked for breakfast, sprinkled with either sesame seeds or topped with hot n spicy Harissa paste. It tastes amazing with Shakshouka (eggs cooked in tomato), hummus, yogurt or simply dipped in tea.
You can call Harissa paste the Middle Eastern cousin of Thai sriracha hot sauce. It is basically a blend of red chilli peppers, garlic, lemon, cumin, coriander and olive oil. Regional variations add a few other locally available herbs and spices too – like caraway seeds and dried mint. Topping Khobz dyal Smida or our Moroccan Semolina bread recipe with Harissa paste doubly enhances the flavour and makes it a lovely snack that you can pack for lunchbox and enjoy on its own.

Ingredients:

For Moroccan Semolina Bread:

3+1/2 cup plain flour

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2+1/4 cup warm water

2/3 cup fine semolina

2 tablespoons olive oil + more to grease the pan

cumin seeds for topping

Dried oregano, thyme or mint for topping

For Harissa Paste:

7-8 dried red chilli peppers

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

3-4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt to taste

This Is What You Do:

For Harissa paste – soak red chillies in hot water for 30 minutes.

Toast cumin and coriander.

Combine all ingredients of Harissa in a blender and make a smooth paste. If you are planning to store it in a jar, top with a little olive oil.

For Flat Bread – In a big mixing bowl add plain flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix.

Add warm water a little at a time. Add olive oil and knead by hand or fold with a plastic spatula for 10 minutes. Keep adding the semolina flour gradually while kneading or folding. I find it easier to fold with spatula because the dough is very wet and sticky.

The dough shall become stretchy and smooth but will still be quite sticky.
Cover the bowl and leave it to rest for 1+1/2 hour.

Lightly grease an oven tray and scoop up the elastic dough and drop on the baking sheet into two large or six smaller rounds, almost 1/2 inch thick.

Lightly brush them with olive oil. Spread Harissa topping over the top and sprinkle cumin seeds and your favourite dried herbs on top.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6