The Medfouna (مدفونة), also known as “Berber pizza”, is a traditional Moroccan dish originating from the Tafilalt region in southeastern Morocco.
It is a stuffed flatbread, filled with spiced meat and herbs and sometimes dried fruit, then baked until golden brown.
There are regional variations:
Rissani: known for using lamb and local spices.
Erfoud: includes almonds in the filling.
Seffa Medfouna: a sweet-salty variant where spiced meat is “hidden” under a bed of couscous or sweet vermicelli, garnished with almonds, cinnamon, and powdered sugar.
Coriander is a traditional ingredient in medfouna, while cheese is only present in some regional variations.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Moroccan
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 7 oz ground meat (beef or lamb)
- 10.5 oz onion
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- to taste spices (cumin, paprika, pepper)
- 2 oz parsley
- 2 oz coriander
Tools
- 1 Baking Pan 12 inches
Steps
In a large bowl, mix the two flours with the yeast, sugar, and salt.
Add the olive oil and gradually incorporate the lukewarm water (between 250ml and 300ml), kneading until a smooth and elastic dough is obtained.
Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.
Prepare the filling:
in a pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until translucent.
Add the ground meat and cook until browned.
Incorporate the spices, chopped parsley, and coriander, mixing well.
Cook for another 5-10 minutes, then let cool slightly.
Divide the dough into two equal parts.
Roll out one part on a floured surface, forming a disk about 12 inches in diameter.
Evenly distribute the filling in the center of the dough, leaving a free edge of about 1 inch.
Place the slices of hard-boiled eggs over the filling.
Roll out the second part of the dough and cover the filling, sealing the edges well.
Let rest for 15-20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 392°F.
Bake the medfouna on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for about 30 minutes.Serve in wedges with Moroccan mint tea.
