Moroccan Batbout: Soft, Puffy Pan-Cooked Bread
Batbout is a handy, much-loved Moroccan bread cooked in a pan with no oven needed. It puffs up and hollows out like a pocket, which makes it easy to fill. You’ll find it during Ramadan, in kids’ snacks, and any time you want a quick, tasty sandwich.
The secret is a soft, well-proofed dough and a pan over low heat so it cooks through without burning on the outside. When it puffs up, you know the dough and the heat are perfectly balanced.
Moroccan Batbout: Soft, Puffy Pan-Cooked Bread
المقادير
Method
- Mix the flour, semolina, salt, sugar, and yeast together.
- Add the warm water gradually and knead until you get a soft, smooth dough, working it well for a few minutes.
- Divide the dough into balls, roll them out into medium-thick rounds, and arrange them on a cloth dusted with semolina.
- Cover and let them proof for about 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy.
- Heat a pan over low heat and cook the rounds on both sides until they puff up and turn lightly golden.
- Let the batbout cool slightly, then split it open and fill it however you like.
ملاحظات
Letting the dough proof well is the secret to the hollow pocket inside.
Batbout can be frozen after cooking and reheated whenever you need it.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't my batbout puffing up?
It's usually because the heat is too high, the proofing was too short, or the rounds were rolled too thick. Lower the heat and let the dough proof fully.
What can I fill batbout with?
With kefta, chicken, tuna, grilled vegetables and cheese, whatever you like.
Can batbout be baked in the oven?
Traditionally it's cooked in a pan, but you can also bake it in a hot oven until it puffs up.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA
