Classic Moroccan Bread Recipe (Khobz) - Cooking The Globe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Igor · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

Bread is the cornerstone of the Moroccan cuisine. There are many different types of bread in this North African country but the most widespread and popular one is Khobz. This Moroccan bread is round, flat-shaped, and tastes amazing!

Classic Moroccan Bread Recipe (Khobz) - Cooking The Globe (1)

Bread is a unique thing. I will tell you why. There are thousands of various bread types all around the world. Every single country has its own version of this wonderful staple food, right? But the most interesting thing is that all these recipes share almost the same ingredients while bread looks different in each case! Pure magic. I don't even know how this happens. You just mix flour, yeast, baking powder, water, salt and few additional products and boom - you get something new all the time. Today I made the classic Moroccan bread called Khobz (sometimes Khoubz or Khubz). It looks nothing like the homemade Indian Naan I made some time ago despite the fact that only few ingredients differ!

Classic Moroccan Bread Recipe (Khobz) - Cooking The Globe (2)

Actually, Khobz is just a standard Moroccan and Arabic word for bread. However, in Morocco it generally refers to a round, flat shaped type of bread eaten every single day. I would not call it a flatbread though, it's more like some sort of a round loaf. Now you need to understand one thing. Bread is the cornerstone of the Moroccan cuisine. Moroccans love bread so much that they have dozens of different bread types available. Khobz though is the most simple and the most popular one of them.

Classic Moroccan Bread Recipe (Khobz) - Cooking The Globe (3)

Moroccan bread usually replaces forks and spoons. The firm crust of the bread is used to scoop up salads, tagines or any other dishes, while the soft interior is perfect for absorbing sauces. Khobz can also be used for sandwiches. It's so versatile! Nowadays all the bakeries in Morocco can offer you freshly baked loaves every morning, but many people still make the bread at home. I love when traditions stay strong despite the world changing rapidly.

Classic Moroccan Bread Recipe (Khobz) - Cooking The Globe (4)

I've found this recipe in my favorite Moroccan book Morocco: A Culinary Journey by Jeff Koehler. I cooked Harira Soup from it, and it was fabulous. This Moroccan bread requires only few ingredients to make. If you skip the optional cornmeal, only the basic products are left. There is absolutely no excuse not to make this beautiful creation of Moroccan cuisine! Classic Moroccan Bread Recipe (Khobz) - Cooking The Globe (5)

Classic Moroccan Bread Recipe (Khobz) - Cooking The Globe (6)

Classic Moroccan Bread - Khobz

CookingTheGlobe

You don't need to go to Morocco to taste their famous bread. It's perfectly possible to make it at home and this recipe shows you how to do it!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cuisine Moroccan

Servings 2 loaves

Calories 887 kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 ¾ cups (500g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet or 7g) active dry yeast (instant dry yeast can also be used)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons warm water
  • a pinch sugar
  • Cornmeal , for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Set aside for 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy. If it doesn't foam, the yeast is dead and you should discard it. If you are using instant dry yeast, you can just mix it with water and sugar and use without waiting the additional minutes. It doesn't require proofing.

  • In a large bowl, sift in the flour and salt. Make a well in the center and gradually pour in the water and yeast mixture. Form the dough into a ball. Put on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into two even pieces and shape into slightly flattened balls. Dust lightly with flour. Cover with a kitchen cloth and let rest for about 10 minutes.

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the loaves to the sheet, leaving at least 2 inches (5cm) between them. Flatten to about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick with your hand. Cover with a plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour. The dough should rise.

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prick the loaves 4-5 times using a fork or a knife. Sprinkle with cornmeal, if desired. Bake until golden, for about 25 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Store wrapped in plastic wrap. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 887kcal

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah

    This looks so amazing! Thanks for sharing. I tried making this break once and it didn't turn out quite right, so I'm excited to give your recipe a try. I usually use it for sopping up the juices from tagine!

    Reply

    • Igor

      You are doing it right, Sarah! It's perfect for absorbing all the juices and the crust is great for scooping the food up 🙂

      Reply

  2. Peter

    Hey! Trying to bake this bread today and I left it in the oven a full 15 minutes past 25 and it's still not that golden brown! Did you stick to the 350F temp? Thanks!

    Peter

    Reply

    • Igor

      Yup. But every oven is different, Peter, so you just have to adjust the cooking time 🙂

      Reply

  3. Roger Wilks

    I've made this bread and I find the water conversions to mls works out at 281.588mls. I find this to be far too dry so I add a little more water. This works fine so is 1 cup and 3 tablespoons(45mls correct? Roger

    Reply

    • Igor

      Yes, it's correct, Roger. 3 tbsp is 45ml. I am wandering why it didn't work out for you 🙂

      Reply

      • Roger Wilks

        I've perfected this recipe now and I make it regularly. I've just made it using 500g Matthews Cotswold Crunch flour and 200g strong white flour. ?

        Reply

  4. afra

    Classic Moroccan Bread Recipe (Khobz) - Cooking The Globe (7)
    Lovely bread. Turned out perfect. Served is as part of a Moroccan themed dinner party and there was not a crumb left by the end of it

    Reply

  5. Nelle

    Having lived in Morocco I can say this recipe for khobz is very authentic AND delicious! I baked one loaf and stored the remaining dough in the fridge for about 24 hours, until needing another loaf. The second loaf was even better! The only mod was baking at 425 degrees for 18 minutes in my oven. This recipe is a keeper for sure.

    Reply

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Classic Moroccan Bread Recipe (Khobz) - Cooking The Globe (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular bread in Morocco? ›

Round Bread or Khobz

This is one of the most common type of breads in Morocco and one of the most consumed one. It's made out of flour, water, and yeast but it's still very delicious. It's very crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.

What is Khobz made of? ›

Moroccan bread, also known as khobz, is a staple ingredient in any Moroccan spread and is known for its distinguishable round, flat shape. Today we are making it using 5 simple ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, oil, and yeast.

Why do Moroccans love bread? ›

In our food culture, we Moroccans eat a lot of bread, Bread is also as a utensil we use it to pick vegetable and meat from the dish, it fits perfectly with our traditional cuisine what consists of tagines, soups, barbeques and vegetables, and also our sharing culture because traditionally and usually we eat all from ...

How many calories are in Moroccan bread? ›

Daily Moroccan Bread
Nutrition Facts
For a Serving Size of 1 serving (158g)
How many calories are in Daily Moroccan Bread? Amount of calories in Daily Moroccan Bread: Calories 539.1Calories from Fat 21.5 (4%)
% Daily Value *
How much fat is in Daily Moroccan Bread? Amount of fat in Daily Moroccan Bread: Total Fat 2.4g-
59 more rows

What is Morocco's most famous dish? ›

One of the foremost popular Moroccan dishes is couscous. Traditionally, it's made from wheat pasta, which is rolled and sliced by hand. It's steamed with stewed meat and seasonal vegetables. While serving, the couscous is covered by meat, then vegetables are placed on top or on the edges of the pyramid.

What is the traditional bread of Morocco? ›

Khobz is a traditional Moroccan 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.

Where is khobez bread from? ›

"Khobz is a staple bread across Morocco, a simple fattish-flattish loaf that takes the place of cutlery in most meals. Perfect for scooping, mopping and dunking, it is light and soft with a little texture from the semolina.

What is the history of Khobz bread? ›

The origin of Moroccan khobz dates back to the ancestral culinary traditions of the Maghreb region, specifically in the territory that currently constitutes the Kingdom of Morocco.

What is the meaning of Khobz? ›

Khubz, alternatively transliterated as khoubz, khobez, khubez, or khubooz, is the usual word for "bread" in Standard Arabic and in many of the vernaculars. Khubz.

What do Moroccans eat every Friday? ›

Couscous is a traditional Moroccan dish, eaten on Fridays - the day of congregational prayer. Huge groups gather around one big table a eat the dish together, normally by hand. Lben, a type of buttermilk, is the drink paired with the dish.

What is Morocco favorite breakfast? ›

Traditional Moroccan breakfast is a fried egg served in olive oil with a wedge of cream cheese and a couple of olives.

Why do Moroccans eat so much bread? ›

Morocco's terrain is dry and the land is harsh geographically. Bread is the one food that binds people together at a meal and can be made relatively inexpensively with few ingredients. Wheat can be kept and used over time when fresh ingredients are more difficult to come by.

What is the most popular bread in Africa? ›

"This is taken from the Congo Cookbook. Unleavened bread that is very popular and is served with many curry dishes.

What is the famous African bread? ›

Chapatis are a common bread in east Africa which originated from India. In the African preparation of chapatis, coconut milk is used in place of water. Coconut milk adds a rich creamy taste and softer texture to the chapatis.

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