The khobz el-dâr خبز الدار , or khobz eddar, meaning “house bread”, or matloua, is a type of leavened Maghrebi bread (khobz in Arabic: خبز means bread) made into a round and rather flat loaf.
It is often homemade and typically prepared with white flour mixed with whole wheat flour or semolina. Sometimes it is flavored with anise seeds.
“Frena” is the term most commonly used in the Maghreb area, especially in Morocco, in family and everyday contexts.
Once baked, the bread develops a soft, tender texture and a slightly sweet flavor.
An oven-baked version, also known as khobz el koucha or matloua el koucha, was traditionally prepared at home and then taken to a communal oven to be baked; some bakeries still offer this service.
A thinner version is the khobz al-tajin, cooked in the earthenware pot called a tajine.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 1 Piece
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: African
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cup durum wheat flour
- 3/4 cup re-milled durum semolina (or whole wheat flour)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 2/3 tsp active dry yeast (or 20 g fresh yeast (about 3/4 oz))
- 3/4 + 2 tbsp cup milk
- to taste salt
- to taste olive oil
- to taste black sesame seeds (or white)
Steps
Warm the milk.
Mix the flour with the semolina. Add the sugar, the yeast, one egg, the salt and the oil. Work the dough, gradually adding the warm milk.
Let rise for 1 hour, covered.
Shape into a loaf and let rise 30 minutes, covered.
Brush with the remaining egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water, and decorate with sesame.
Bake in the oven at 392°F for 20 minutes.
