Small Semolina Griddle Breads Recipes

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]).

MOROCCAN HARCHA (HARSHA) - SEMOLINA PAN-FRIED FLATBREAD

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, blend together the fine semolina flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter, and blend well. (I use my hands to mix this dough).
• Add 1/2 cup milk and mix until a dough forms. It should be quite moist and easily packed into a large mound. Add an additional milk if necessary to achieve this consistency.
• Shape the dough into balls any size that you like - I make them about the size of small plums - and leave the dough to rest a few minutes.
• Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium-low heat. While the griddle is heating, roll the balls in the coarse semolina (this is optional for appearance and texture) and flatten each ball into a disc about 1/4" thick.
• Cook the harcha over fairly low heat, about 7 to 10 minutes on each side, until a pale to medium golden color. Turn only once, and check occasionally to be sure the harcha aren't coloring too quickly, as they need some time to cook all the way through.
• Serve immediately with jam, cheese, or butter. Or, dip the harcha in syrup made from melted butter and honey. (To make the syrup, heat equal portions of the butter and honey until bubbly and hot.).
• Harcha can be reheated in a pan or in a 350°F (180°C) oven for a few minutes. They store well in the freezer.

MSEMEN (MOROCCAN FLATBREADS)

Steps:

• Make the dough: Place the flours, salt, warm water and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix and form a soft, smooth dough. If the mixture is too dry, gradually add a couple tablespoons of warm water. If it's too sticky, gradually add teaspoons of semolina flour. Once your dough is soft and smooth, lightly dust a work surface with semolina flour and knead the dough for about 8 minutes, until supple and elastic.
• Lightly grease a sheet pan with oil. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces and form each into a ball. Place the balls on the sheet pan and use your hands or a brush to lightly rub the balls with oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and melted butter. Generously oil your work surface and place a ball of dough on it. Flatten the ball lightly and spoon about 1/2 teaspoon butter mixture on top. Using your hands, flatten the dough as thin as you can to make an 8- to 10-inch circle and lightly sprinkle some semolina flour over the dough.
• Fold the msemen: Fold one-third of the top and bottom of the dough towards the center as you would to fold a letter, then fold one-third of the dough from the left and right sides towards the center to make about a 2 1/2 to 3 1/2-inch square. Place the folded msemen on the oiled work surface and cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap. Repeat until you have folded all the dough balls, adding more oil to your work surface as necessary.
• Lightly oil and heat a griddle or a nonstick pan over medium-high. Transfer a folded msemen to the work surface, spoon another 1/2 teaspoon of the butter mixture on top and flatten it using your hands to make a 6-inch square. Gently place the flattened msemen on the warm pan and cook, turning several times and adjusting the heat and adding more oil to the pan as necessary, until golden and starting to puff, 60 to 90 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cover with a clean towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining msemen. Serve warm or at room temperature.

100% SEMOLINA BREAD

Steps:

• Mix the salt into the warm water (120F-130F) and pour into the bread machine pan. Next, add the olive oil, flour, sugar and the yeast last (may be place into a little indentation in the center of the flour). If necessary, add 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to help the yeast feed.
• Set the bread machine to a 2 lb size and white light, white medium, white dark, whole wheat or french settings.
• Push start and come back in 3 1/3 to 4 hours. :-).

CRISPY SEMOLINA NOODLES

Steps:

• Whisk egg, milk, salt, and sugar together in a bowl. Add semolina flour and whisk until combined.
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a griddle or pan over medium heat. Drop ladlefuls of batter in batches into the hot pan and fry until set and golden, 2 to 4 minutes, flipping halfway. Remove from the pan and let cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
• Roll up pancakes and thinly slice into "noodles."
• Heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add pepper flakes and "noodles." Pan-fry until almost crisp, 2 to 4 minutes.

BAKED SEMOLINA BREADS

Steps:

• 1. For the dough, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water in a small bowl and set aside until frothy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the yogurt.2. Place the semolina, flour, butter, and salt in a food processor and process until mixed. With the motor running, pour the yeast mixture into the work bowl in a thin stream and process until the flour gathers into a ball and the sides of the processor are clean. (If the dough seems too sticky, add some more flour through the feeder tube, or add some more yogurt if the dough is dry and hard).3. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl, and place in a warm draft-free spot until it doubles in volume, 3 to 4 hours. (This allows the yeast to ferment and multiply, causing the dough to rise.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.4. Lightly grease 2 or 3 large baking trays. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting, about 10 minutes, then turn it off. Then, with lightly oiled clean hands, divide the dough equally into 10 to 12 balls and cover with foil to prevent drying. Working with each ball of dough separately, place in the bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips, and coat well with the dry flour. Transfer to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface and, with a rolling pin, roll into 5- to 6-inch circle and place on the baking trays. (If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust with more flour.)5. With a basting brush or your fingers, lightly baste the top surface of each bread with water. (This prevents them from drying out.) Cover with foil and place the trays in the turned-off oven to rise once more, about 1 hour.6. Remove the baking trays and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake until the kulcha breads are still white, but firm, about 10 minutes. They should not brown. Serve.VARIATION: Like other Indian breads, kulchas are also made with various stuffings. All the Parantha Stuffings, Category Stuffed Griddle-Fried Flatbreads, can be used.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.