Top 15 Maghrebi Breads

Mahjouba is a traditional flatbread that is one of the most popular street food items in the country. These thick and flaky crepe-like flatbreads are made with semolina, then filled with a combination of tomatoes and caramelized onions. Mahjouba is often paired with harissa sauce on the side, but the condiment is completely optional.Expand

M'semen is a traditional Maghrebi flatbread made with a combination of flour, semolina, sugar, salt, yeast, warm water, oil, and clarified butter. The dough is kneaded until it becomes smooth, and pieces of it are then flattened and shaped into squares. Once the dough has been folded and shaped, it is cooked on a griddle or fried in a pan until it becomes crispy on the exterior and chewy on the inside. Although m'semen is traditionally consumed on its own as an accompaniment to coffee or tea, it can also be stuffed with various meats and vegetables. In Tunisia, the flatbread is often based on semolina flour and made without yeast.Expand

Kesra or khobz f'tir is a traditional flatbread that is used as a daily bread. The dough consists of semolina, oil, salt, and water, and typically contains no yeast. Unlike the similar khobz el dar, kesra is not baked, but cooked on a tagine or on the stove. It is recommended to pair kesra with an Algerian chicken and freekeh soup called chorba.Expand

Bazin is a popular Libyan unleavened bread (also considered a dough-based dish) made by boiling barley flour and salt in water and beating it with a stick called magraf until it develops into a dough which is then baked or steamed. The bread is characterized by its hard texture, achieved by the usage of large amounts of salt. It is traditionally shared and consumed using the right hand. Bazin is often served with a tomato-based stew, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and mutton.Expand

Batbout is a traditional flatbread originating from Morocco. The bread is usually made with a combination of wheat flour, semolina, yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil or vegetable oil. The dough is shaped into balls that are left to rest and rolled into thin rounds. The bread is baked in a large pan or on a griddle on both sides until the air bubbles begin to appear on the surface. This puffy and chewy flatbread is then left to cool before consumption. Batbout is typically served as an accompaniment to grilled meat, but it can also be served for breakfast with jam, butter, or honey. Alternatively, the flatbread can also be used to make various sandwiches.Expand

Rougag is a type of flatbread mostly associated with Algeria and Tunisia, although it is often used in the cuisines of other North African countries. It is made with semolina and wheat flour dough and prepared on a tajine or a cast-iron skillet. After it's cooked, rougag is folded and paired with various local dishes or torn into pieces and used as an ingredient in stews and pilafs.Expand

Berber pizza or khobza medfouna is a traditional dish originating from Morocco, and it is believed that its true birthplace is Rissani, a small oasis town near the northwest edge of Sahara. Although it's called a pizza, this is more of a stuffed flatbread that's similar to calzone or stromboli. The flatbread dough is stuffed with beef or lamb, diced onions, and various spices, and it's then baked in a fire pit until done, while many restaurants and local Berbers cook it in a mud oven. Fried almonds and hard-boiled eggs are welcome, but optional additions. The name medfouna means buried, referring to the ingredients that are buried or hidden in the flatbread dough. Once prepared, Berber pizza is cut into slices, and it's usually accompanied by hot mint tea, which is believed to be a palate balancer that will contrast the flavor of fat from the meat. Expand

Harsha is a popular Moroccan bread that is usually made with a combination of semolina, sugar, butter, milk, baking powder, and salt. It is traditionally fried in a pan until it develops a soft, crumbly texture. Most Moroccans prepare it for breakfast or as an afternoon snack, serving it with butter, honey, or cheese. It is recommended to pair harsha with a cup of hot Moroccan tea.Expand

Khobz is a traditional bread that is shaped into round, flat loaves and baked in an oven until it develops a crispy crust. It can be made with different types of flour such as wheat, bran, barley, and semolina. Some bakers like to add anise, nigella, or cumin in order to enhance its flavors. The bread often replaces utensils and is used to scoop up sauces, dips, meat, and vegetables in numerous Moroccan dishes.Expand

Khobz el dar is an Algerian and Moroccan bread that requires no kneading. It consists of semolina, salt, sugar, yeast, oil, eggs, milk, and optional sesame seeds for decoration. Once it has been baked, the bread develops a soft and tender texture and a slightly sweet flavor. This bread can be found it almost every household in Algeria, hence its name, which translates to bread of the house.Expand