Khobz — Everyday Moroccan Bread
Round semolina and flour loaves baked flat and soft, the bread used as a fork at every Moroccan meal.

- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
Khobz is on the table at every Moroccan meal, and it is not there to be buttered. It is torn into pieces and used to scoop tagine, salad and sauce straight from the communal dish.
The dough is half strong flour, half fine semolina — the semolina gives it the slight bite and pale gold crumb that makes it recognisably Moroccan.
Two loaves, about two hours from start to finish, most of it waiting.
Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
Instructions
Mix
Combine the flour, semolina, salt, sugar and yeast. Add the oil and then the water gradually, mixing to a soft dough.
Knead
Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft but not sticky — add a little semolina if it clings.
Shape
Divide in two and shape each piece into a ball. Flatten each into a disc about 20 cm across and 1.5 cm thick on a semolina-dusted tray.
Prove
Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes, until visibly puffed and springy to a light press.
Dock and bake
Heat the oven to 220°C. Prick the loaves several times with a fork so they stay flat, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes until pale gold and hollow-sounding underneath.
Cool
Cool on a rack under a cloth for 10 minutes — the cloth keeps the crust soft enough to tear.
Cook’s notes
- Pricking the dough is not decorative. Skip it and the loaf balloons into a pitta.
- Khobz is at its best within a few hours. Day-old bread goes into soup or is toasted and crumbled over salads.
Recipe information
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 210 kcal per serving
- Cuisine
- Moroccan
- Course
- Bread
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Keywords
- khobz, moroccan bread recipe, moroccan khobz, moroccan flatbread
Nutrition is an estimate per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cook khobz in a pan?
Why semolina and flour together?
More Moroccan recipes

Msemen — Moroccan Layered Flatbread
Squares of semolina dough stretched paper thin, folded with butter and pan-fried into flaky layers for breakfast with honey and tea.

Baghrir — Moroccan Thousand-Hole Pancakes
Light semolina pancakes cooked on one side only, covered in tiny holes that soak up melted butter and honey.

Moroccan Avocado Smoothie — Jus d'Avocat
The thick, cold avocado and milk drink sold at every Moroccan juice bar, sweetened with dates and dusted with cinnamon.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine with Chickpeas
Root vegetables, chickpeas and apricots layered in a tagine with ginger, turmeric and preserved lemon, cooked until the sauce thickens around them.