Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. This bread should not be "dense" with no air bubble pockets inside. You will need to flatten it as much as you possibly can; pull, stretch and flatten to no more than 1/2 inch. Should it come out dense, then next time cut the dough in three and make 3 loaves. Please don't go by my photo as this batch "over-rose.".
  3. Combine 1/2 cup flour, sugar, salt, yeast and water in bowl. Stand, covered, in a warm place until bubbly.
  4. Add remaining flour, and cornmeal into a large bowl. Add the oil. Add yeast mixture to the flour in the bowl.
  5. Mix with hands well to form a firm dough.
  6. Knead until smooth.
  7. Stand, covered, in a warm place 20 minutes.
  8. Shape into 2 rounds (depending on the diameter you desire as Moroccan bread comes in many sizes right down to little ones for sandwiches). Score the top with a sharp knife 1/8" deep into 4 (cutting an X shape), or using your thumb make a dent in the center nearly deep enough to be a hole, though not all the way through.
  9. Place on a baking sheet dusted with corn meal and dust the top also with the corn meal gently pushing it into the dough a bit.
  10. Stand, covered, until nearly doubled. This being so flat and the amount of yeast, it may not exactly double for you in size and that is fine.
  11. Bake 12-18 minutes.
  12. If you are making a Moroccan meal and will use bread to eat with you will need at least 2 loaves for 4 people. Cooking time includes standing and is an approximation as flours and temperatures differ.
  13. This bread freezes well. Simply freeze as you would any bread and defrost at room temperature. I freeze mine in tied white translucent plastic bags, similar to grocery plastic bags.