Middle Eastern Semolina And Saffron Bread Recipes

MOROCCAN SEMOLINA BREAD - KHOBZ DYAL SMIDA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Prepare two baking sheets either by oiling the centers or by dusting the pans with coarse semolina.
• In a large bowl combine the fine semolina or durum flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Make a large well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the yeast.
• Add the oil and 1 1/2 cups warm water to the well, mixing to dissolve the yeast first, and then stirring the entire contents of the bowl to incorporate the water into the flour.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and begin kneading the dough. If necessary, add flour or water in very small amounts to make the dough soft and pliable, but not sticky. Continue kneading for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is very smooth and elastic.
• Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a smooth circular mound. Roll the mounds in some coarse or fine semolina, pressing the grains gently into the surface of the dough.
• Place the dough on the prepared pans and cover with a towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
• After the dough has rested, use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough into large, flat rounds about 1/4" thick.
• Cover the loaves with a towel, and leave to rise about one hour or longer, until the dough springs back when pressed lightly with a finger.
• Pre heat an oven to 435 F/225 C. Poke the dough with a fork in several places to create steam vents. Bake the bread for about 20 minutes - rotate the pans about halfway through the baking time - or until the loaves are nicely colored and sound hollow when tapped.
• Transfer the bread to a rack or towel-lined basket to cool. Moroccan bread will keep only a day at room temperature, so plan to freeze leftovers. Thaw at room temperature, then reheat in the oven for just-baked freshness.

SAFFRON BREAD

Steps:

• Steep the saffron in the hot water overnight. Make sure you use a container that is covered to keep the heat inside. This step is crucial to getting the taste and flavor you want in the bread.
• The next morning, Sift the flour into a very large bowl add the sugar then cut in the butter and crisco using a pastry cutter.
• Add the currants, raisins, orange peel, lemon rind, nutmeg, salt and saffron water.
• Mix together, then sprinkle the yeast on the top of the mixture and add the lukewarm water.
• Knead the bread mixture until everything is combined. The bread should be a light orange/dark yellow in color.
• Then place the bread in a warm location, covered. And allow to rise until doubled in size.
• Once doubled, knead the bread again, and allow to rise until doubled one more time.
• Cut the dough into 6 loaves.
• Knead each dough ball and then place the loaves into greased loaf pans.
• Cover the pans and allow to rise until about level with the top of the pans.
• Bake the loaves at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

MIDDLE EASTERN SEMOLINA AND SAFFRON BREAD

Steps:

• Crush the saffron and mix it in 1 teaspoon of boiling water, set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together the 1/2 cup warm water, the yeast, and sugar. Let stand about 5 minutes or until frothy.
• Stir in the 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil saffron mix. Add 2 cups of the bread flour, the 1-2/3 cups semolina flour, the turmeric, caraway seed and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining bread flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place dough in greased bowl; turn once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 hour).
• Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; sprinkle parchment with the 1 tablespoon semolina flour. Set aside. Shape each dough half into a 6-inch round loaf. Place dough rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (about 30 minutes).
• Adjust one oven rack to the lowest position and another oven rack to the lower-middle position. Set a shallow baking pan on the bottom rack. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Using a sharp knife, cut an X into the top of each loaf. Place baking sheet with dough rounds on the middle rack. Place the ice cubes in the shallow baking pan on the lower (as they melt, they'll create steam, which helps the dough rise and develop a crisp crust). Bake rounds about 25 minutes or until deep golden and rounds sound hollow when tapped. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover rounds with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
• Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely.

ARTISAN SEMOLINA AND ROSEMARY BREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix 2 cups of the all-purpose flour, the sugar, table salt and yeast. Stir in warm water and 1 tablespoon olive oil until well mixed, about 1 minute. Beat with wooden spoon 2 minutes.
• Stir in semolina flour and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Stir in additional all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough leaves side of bowl, flour is incorporated and dough in not sticky. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Sprinkle parchment with cornmeal. Place dough on lightly floured surface; turn dough to lightly coat with flour. With floured hands, shape dough into 6x4-inch oval by stretching surface of dough around to bottom on all 4 sides; pinch bottom to seal. Place on cookie sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray; let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, about 20 minutes before baking, place pizza stone on oven rack. Heat oven to 400°F. Brush dough with 2 teaspoons olive oil; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon rosemary and sea salt. Slide dough and parchment paper from cookie sheet onto pizza stone.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on cooling rack, about 1 hour.

SEMOLINA TURMERIC CAKE (SFOOF)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch round baking pan.
• In a small bowl, mix semolina, flour, turmeric and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir milk and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add flour mixture and oil and beat with an electric beater at medium speed for 5 minutes. This step is essential, do not use any shortcuts.
• Pour into a prepared 9 inch round pan. Sprinkle top with pine nuts. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out dry.

SMALL SEMOLINA GRIDDLE BREADS

Steps:

• 1. In a mixing bowl, combine the pasta flour and semolina. Add the stick of melted butter and rub the mixture together with your hands until sandy. Mix in the sugar and salt. Mix 1/2 cup of water into the dough; it should be crumbly. Let stand a few minutes, then gradually add more water until you have a soft dough, about 1 cup in all.
• 2. Transfer to a food processor and pulse 30 times to blend. The texture should now be very soft and moist. Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Using lightly buttered hands, knead it until silky, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover the dough loosely and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
• 3. Preheat a cast-iron grill or a ridged pan over medium heat. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Lightly grease the cut side of the onion with melted butter or oil and quickly rub the heated pan. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. On a buttered or oiled baking sheet, press out one portion of the dough into a 5-inch round. Cover loosely with plastic and repeat to form the remaining flatbreads. Grill the breads, one at a time, until they are golden and speckled with black spots, turning once; it should take 4 minutes total. Serve the breads hot off the grill, or wrap in foil and keep them warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes.
• •Darker than olive oil, with a reddish tint, argan oil will impart a rich, nutty, earthy flavor to the griddle breads. This traditional Moroccan ingredient comes from the nuts of the argan tree, which grows only in southwestern Morocco. The oil is available at www.berbersources.com and www.exoticaoils.com. Since it takes approximately 12 hours to extract a liter of oil from the nuts, it's an expensive-but inimitable-ingredient. It can also be used as a finishing oil for vegetables or lentils. •Wolfert cautions against substituting other types of flour in this recipe: The combination of fine semolina (pasta flour) and course semolina is essential to the bread's distinctive texture. Coarse semolina is available at www.kalustyans.com or from Todaro Brothers (877-472-2767 or [email protected]).