Harcha

A semolina pan bread with no yeast and almost no kneading, where the semolina is left to drink the milk before it is shaped.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (butter), dairy (milk), honey.

Ingredients

• 400 g fine semolina
• 120 g butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• about 200 ml warm milk
• extra semolina, for coating
• butter and honey, to serve

Method

1. THE SEMOLINA IS LEFT TO DRINK THE MILK FOR TEN MINUTES BEFORE ANYTHING IS SHAPED, and that rest is the whole recipe. Semolina takes up liquid slowly: mixed and shaped straight away, the dough feels right in the hand and then dries in the pan into something sandy that falls apart. Rested, it comes together and holds.
2. AND IT IS BARELY WORKED. Butter rubbed in, milk added, pressed together and left. Kneading develops nothing here -- there is no gluten in semolina worth developing -- and only makes it tough.
3. THEY ARE COOKED ON A DRY PAN OVER A LOW HEAT, which takes longer than instinct says. Eight minutes a side. High heat browns the outside in two and leaves the centre raw and gritty.
4. Semolina, sugar, salt and baking powder mixed in a bowl.
5. Softened butter rubbed in with the fingertips until it looks like damp sand.
6. Warm milk added a little at a time and pressed together with the hands until it just holds -- stop while it still looks slightly too dry.
7. COVERED AND LEFT 10 MINUTES. It will be noticeably firmer and more cohesive afterwards.
8. Pressed out on a surface dusted with extra semolina to about 1.5 cm thick, and cut into rounds with a cutter or a glass.
9. Each one pressed into more semolina on both sides so it carries a visible coating -- this is what gives the crust its grain.
10. A heavy dry pan over a LOW heat. No oil and no butter.
11. Cooked 8 minutes a side, turned once, until pale gold and crusted. They should sound hollow and feel light.
12. Split while hot and eaten with butter and honey, or with cheese. Best the day they are made and good toasted afterwards.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Morocco · All recipes