Moroccan Semolina Bread - Khobz dyal Smida

Moroccan Semolina Bread - Khobz dyal Smida

The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Rising time: 60 mins
Total: 100 mins
Servings: 16 servings

Although semolina (smida in Moroccan Arabic) is famously used to make pasta or couscous, it also makes a very flavorful, chewy bread. For that purpose, either fine semolina or the more finely ground durum flour may be used. 

In Morocco, semolina bread usually takes the shape of khobz, a traditional disc-shaped flatbread, but you'll also find it in baguette or sandwich roll form.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fine semolina flour, or durum flour

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon dry or fresh yeast

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 1/2 cups water

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for kneading

  • 1/4 cup semolina flour, for dusting the loaves

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Moroccan Semolina Bread - Khobz dyal Smida ingredients

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  2. Prepare two baking sheets either by oiling the centers or by dusting the pans with coarse semolina.

    baking sheets dusted with coarse semolina

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  3. 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.

    combine the fine semolina or durum flour, white flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  4. 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.

    add water and oil to the dry ingredients in the bowl

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  5. 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.

    dough ball on a floured surface

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  6. 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.

    dough balls covered with semolina

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  7. Place the dough on the prepared pans and cover with a towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

    dough on prepared pans covered with a towel

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  8. After the dough has rested, use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough into large, flat rounds about 1/4" thick. 

    dough circles on prepared pans

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  9. 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.

    dough circles on prepared baking pans under a towel

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  10. 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.

    dough circles on prepared pans, dough poked with fork

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  11. 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.

    Moroccan Semolina Bread - Khobz dyal Smida on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

Recipe Variations

  • Like its cousin Moroccan White Bread, Moroccan Semolina bread – or khobz dyal smida – is easy to prepare and perfect for sandwiches, breakfast, tea time or serving with tagines. We like to use half semolina to half white flour, but adjust this ratio to your preference. The more semolina you use, the more yellow in color and chewy in texture the bread will be. Delicious!
  • The Moroccan semolina recipe calls for shaping the dough into two large loaves, which are typically cut into wedges for serving. If you prefer, you can divide and shape the dough into four to six small personal sized loaves.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
131 Calories
3g Fat
22g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 131
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 266mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 48mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)