Khobz dar

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 gfine semolina
• 150 gplain flour
• 7 ginstant dried yeast
• 1 tspsugar
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 60 mlsunflower oil or 50 g melted butter
• About 320 ml warm milk or water

To finish

• 1egg, beaten, or 3 tbsp milk, for glazing
• 3 tbspsesame seeds
• 1 tspnigella seeds (optional)

Directions

1. Whisk the yeast and sugar into 100 ml of the warm milk and leave for 10 minutes, until it foams; if nothing happens the yeast is dead and the loaf will not rise.
2. Mix the semolina, flour and salt in a large bowl, then rub in the oil with your fingertips until the mixture feels evenly damp.
3. Pour in the yeast mixture and the remaining warm milk and bring together into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
4. Knead for 10 to 12 minutes by hand, or 8 minutes in a mixer, until the dough is smooth and springs back slowly when pressed; semolina needs longer kneading than plain flour to develop.
5. Cover and prove in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
6. Knock back gently, shape into a tight round ball, and set it on an oiled or lined baking tray, flattening it slightly to a disc about 22 cm across.
7. Brush with beaten egg or milk, scatter generously with sesame and nigella seeds, and press them in lightly so they do not fall off after baking.
8. Prove again, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until visibly puffed and light to lift.
9. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath, with an internal temperature around 96°C (205°F). Cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting, or the crumb will smear.

Technique

• Semolina gives khobz dar its yellow crumb, faint sweetness and slightly coarse bite. An all-white-flour version is a different bread entirely.
• Milk rather than water makes the crumb softer and the crust darker; both are traditional, and milk marks the celebratory loaf.
• The name means house bread, and every household bakes it in a round to be torn at the table beside stews, never sliced neatly.

Substitutions

• Fresh yeast works at 20 g, crumbled into the warm milk; sourdough starter can replace it at 150 g with a 4-hour first prove.
• No nigella seeds: sesame alone is entirely standard.

Variations

• Some families bake it flatter and wider, closer to a giant bun, for sandwiches at a picnic.
• A richer feast version adds an egg and 40 g extra butter to the dough.
• Khobz koucha is the same dough baked in a communal oven, with a thicker, darker crust.

Frequently asked questions

What is Khobz dar?

Khobz dar is a bread & pastry from Algeria: homestyle round semolina house bread topped with sesame.

How long does Khobz dar take to make?

Khobz dar takes 25 min of preparation and 45 min including 1 hr 30 min proving of cooking. The recipe makes 1 large loaf, 8 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Khobz dar?

Yes, within limits. Fresh yeast works at 20 g, crumbled into the warm milk; sourdough starter can replace it at 150 g with a 4-hour first prove. No nigella seeds: sesame alone is entirely standard.

What is the most important thing to get right in Khobz dar?

Brush with beaten egg or milk, scatter generously with sesame and nigella seeds, and press them in lightly so they do not fall off after baking.