Moroccan · Bread
Barley Griddle Bread (Khobz Chair)
A flat, dense barley bread cooked on a griddle rather than baked — nutty, faintly sweet and a little chewy, the everyday loaf of Amazigh mountain households where barley grows better than wheat. Half barley, half wheat flour keeps it workable, and it comes off the pan blistered and warm, made for tearing into soup or amlou.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 250 g barley flour
- 250 g bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 7 g dried yeast
- About 320 ml warm water
- Fine semolina, for dusting
Method
- 1
Make the dough
Mix the flours, salt, sugar and yeast, add the warm water gradually and knead 8 minutes to a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- 2
First rise
Cover and leave to rise about 1 hour until puffy — barley has little gluten, so it rises modestly.
- 3
Shape
Knock back, divide into rounds and flatten each to about 1 cm thick on a semolina-dusted surface. Rest 20 minutes.
- 4
Griddle
Cook on a hot, dry, heavy pan over medium heat 8–10 minutes a side, pressing occasionally, until blistered, browned and cooked through.
Chef's tips
- Barley flour alone is too crumbly — the wheat flour gives just enough gluten to hold the loaf together.
- Keep the griddle at a steady medium heat so the inside cooks before the crust burns.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use all barley flour?
You can for a denser, more traditional loaf, but it is fragile; a 50:50 blend is far easier to handle and shape.
What do I eat it with?
It is the classic partner for amlou, olive oil, honey, harira and any saucy tagine you want to mop up.