Moroccan Country Bread (Khubz Maghrebi)

Many Moroccan home cooks prepare and bake bread every morning to serve at meals throughout the day. These plain, rustic loaves are a good accompaniment to tagines, and a slice makes a tasty scoop for eating a carrot or beet salad. This dough is deliberately not kneaded to help achieve the characteristic coarse texture. Though it's best eaten the day it's made, you can also freeze the bread for up to one month; thaw at room temperature, wrap in foil, and reheat at 300° for 15 minutes.

Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1/8 of a loaf)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  packages dry yeast (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 1/2  cups  warm water (100° to 110°)
• 31.5  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 7 cups) plus 2 teaspoons, divided
• 2  teaspoons  kosher salt
• Cooking spray
• 1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Dissolve yeast in 2 1/2 cups warm water in a large bowl. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Stir salt into yeast mixture. Gradually stir in 7 cups flour, one cup at a time; beat with a mixer at medium speed until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; shape dough into a 12-inch log. Divide dough into 3 pieces; shape each piece into a (4-inch) dome-shaped loaf. Place loaves on a baking sheet lightly covered with flour; dust tops lightly with 2 teaspoons flour, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

2. Position oven rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350°.

3. Uncover loaves, and brush each with 1 teaspoon oil. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until sounds hollow when tapped (bread doesn't brown). Remove from oven; cool on wire racks.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

139 (0.0% from fat)

Fat:

0.9g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:

4g

Carbohydrate:

28g

Fiber:

1.1g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

1.8mg

Sodium:

161mg

Calcium:

6mg