Moroccan Bread Stuffed With Meat

Nasseh's Note:

This Moroccan bread is eaten as a snack & sometimes tomato or mild cheddar cheese is added to the filling. The times below does not reflect 1 hour for the dough to rise.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Dough

• ¼ ounce active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 cups unbleached flour
• 1 ½ cups barley flour or 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ cup lukewarm milk
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional) or 2 teaspoons cumin seeds (optional)

Filling

• ½ lb ground lamb or ½ lb ground beef , do not use lean meat
• 3 tablespoons onions , grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley , chopped
• 1 dried hot red chili pepper , finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sweet red pepper
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Dough:.
2. Add the sugar to 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Then add the yeast and stir to soften. Let it sit in a warm place until the yeast is bubbly & doubles in volume, roughly 2 minutes.
3. Mix the flours & salt in the large mixing bowl. After yeast is ready add it to the flour along with the milk. Add enough lukewarm water to the mixture to form a stiff dough.
4. Note:Flours differ in their ability to absorb moisture so no precise amount can be given. Add a small amount at a time. If you have added too much the mixture will be extra sticky and it will be hard to get off your hands. The right consistency should allow the dough to pull easily off your fingers.
5. Place the dough onto a lightly floured board & knead hard with closed fists, pushing outward. Add the seeds during the final part of kneading.
6. It will take between 10-15 minutes to knead the dough thoroughly. You will know it is ready when it achieves a smooth, elastic consistency. (If you are using an electric beater with a dough hook, knead 7-8 minutes on a slow speed).
7. With lightly oiled hands, form the dough into 4 equal sized balls. Flatten each piece into a rectangle approximately 8x12 inches (20x30cm).
8. Filling:.
9. Saute the meat & onion for in a skillet until the meat is no longer pink. Drain then add the rest of the ingredients for the filling.
10. Spread a quarter of the filling down the center of each rectangle. Fold over the right side the then left to form a package that is 3x8 inches (7.5x20cm).
11. Flatten the package out until it is again a rectangle measuring 8x12. Then refold as before until the package is 3x8 inches. Repeat with all 4 balls.
12. Spray two baking pans with cooking spray then place 2 bread packages on each pan. Cover with a clean towel & leave in a warm place for the dough to rise for an hour.
13. Heat a griddle & brush with a little oil or butter. Poke the package five times on each side with a fork. Fry the dough for 8-10 minutes on each side until crisp & golden. Brush with a little melted butter just before serving.

Reviews

[Chef Kate]

Excellent! I did as told, using a combo of ap and whole wheat flour and brushed the bread packets with oil and sprinkled a bit of za'tar and sesame seeds on the bread. I also added some chopped tomato to the filling. Good stuff, Nasseh!