Kesra

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gfine or medium semolina
• 1 tspsalt
• 3 tbspolive oil or 40 g melted butter
• About 300 ml warm water

Optional additions

• 1 tspdried oregano or za’atar
• 1 tbspsesame seeds
• 1 tspnigella seeds

To serve

• olive oil and honey, or stew and buttermilk

Directions

1. Put the semolina and salt in a wide bowl and rub in the olive oil with your fingertips for 3 minutes, until the mixture is evenly damp and sandy.
2. Add the warm water in stages, gathering the dough with your hand, until it comes together into a soft mass; semolina drinks water slowly, so add the last 50 ml with care.
3. Knead in the bowl for 5 minutes, pushing with the heel of your hand, until the dough is supple and no longer sticks to your fingers.
4. Cover with a cloth and rest for 20 minutes so the grains hydrate fully; kesra kneaded and cooked at once tastes gritty.
5. Divide in two and pat each piece out on a lightly oiled surface into a disc about 25 cm across and 8 mm thick, using your palms rather than a rolling pin.
6. Prick the surface all over with a fork so the bread cooks flat rather than ballooning.
7. Heat a heavy flat griddle, a tajine plate or a cast-iron pan over medium-low heat with no fat at all, and cook the first bread for 6 to 8 minutes.
8. Turn when the underside is speckled with dark gold spots and the edges look dry, then cook the second side for another 6 to 8 minutes, pressing the centre with a cloth so it makes contact with the pan.
9. The bread is done when it sounds hollow, feels light, and has no doughy patch when a piece is torn from the middle. Wrap in a cloth to soften and serve warm, torn by hand.

Technique

• There is no yeast in kesra rakhsis, the everyday griddle bread; it is unleavened and eats dense and slightly crumbly, which is exactly right for scooping stew.
• Medium heat and patience are essential. A hot pan gives a scorched crust with raw semolina inside.
• Kesra is Amazigh in origin and cooked on a clay tajine plate over embers, which is why the crust is speckled rather than uniformly browned.

Substitutions

• A mix of half semolina and half plain flour gives a softer, more forgiving dough for a first attempt.
• No griddle: a heavy frying pan works, or bake at 220°C (425°F) on a preheated stone for 12 minutes, though the crust will be drier.

Variations

• Kesra matlou is the leavened, thicker, spongier cousin, raised with yeast and cooked the same way.
• Kesra bel besla works chopped onion and herbs into the dough, a Kabyle habit.
• Kesra khamira from the south is enriched with a little oil and cooked in sand-heated pits for feast days.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kesra?

Kesra is a bread & pastry from Algeria: griddle-baked semolina flatbread, torn to scoop stews.

How long does Kesra take to make?

Kesra takes 20 min of preparation and 25 min plus 20 min resting of cooking. The recipe makes 2 large flatbreads, 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Kesra?

Yes, within limits. A mix of half semolina and half plain flour gives a softer, more forgiving dough for a first attempt. No griddle: a heavy frying pan works, or bake at 220°C (425°F) on a preheated stone for 12 minutes, though the crust will be drier.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kesra?

Divide in two and pat each piece out on a lightly oiled surface into a disc about 25 cm across and 8 mm thick, using your palms rather than a rolling pin.