Hajar's Harcha

This is a well loved and easily prepared bread from Morocco. This bread originally belongs to the peasants of the Rif where I live; the Atlas Mountains, coastal, where the people are known as Rifi/Rifia . Always served with butter, you can also use honey, cinnamon, sugar or a combo of these but always butter. This is best made at home and unless one knows their street vendors it can be very disappointing as street food. This bread can be served hot, warm or room temperature but always best on day of making. You can make these anywhere from 2" galettes or skillet size. I often make it skillet size and cut into wedges. c.2005

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  cup fine semolina, plus
• 2  tablespoons fine semolina
• 1⁄3 cup  regular semolina (coarse)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 4  tablespoons butter, softened and extra for the frying

Directions

1. Place the semolinas, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Use your fingertips and work in the softened butter. Gradually add approximately 1/4 cup water to make a firm dough. Knead it just until it comes together into a dough.
2. NB: You can use cornmeal for this should you not be able to find the proper semolinas with okay results. You may need to add a bit of liquid though.
3. Roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into rounds. I make mine failry large though they can be made any size from two inches round upwards. Mine are probably three to three and a half inches around. Roll the trimmings again and continue to cut until all of the dough has been used.
4. Brush a large (non-stick) skillet with softened butter and put onto medium heat. When the pan is hot, add as many rounds as wilt fit with a bit of space between them. Cook for 1 to 3 minutes on each side. You don't want them to color much, just to become firm and very lightly browned. You can serve these hot, warm or room temperature though are always best eaten the day of making. Serve with butter and your choice of honey, sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon but always serve with butter. Cooking time listed is to cook the entire batch if small ones are made.
5. See the African Forum for my column on breads and my regular columns; Hajar's Morocco for Foodies.