When I started looking into the Moroccan flatbreads, I decided on making a Msemen. That led me to Rghaif, the pastry dough of Morocco. This dough is used as the base for many other flat-breads
Apart from being made plain, you can stuff these with variety of fillings, before it is folded and cooked. These are also shaped differently. The plain rghaif is popularly serve as such or with the syrup made from butter and honey.
I have read some Rghaif dough is left unleavened, while some add a tiny amount of yeast to help with elasticity and final cooked texture. Preferences for white, semolina, wheat and other flours vary from household to household and also according to the intended folding technique.
All the above information is referred from this site.
Types of Rghaif
Depending on the technique used to fold the dough before cooking, rghaif is called by other names:
Msemen - Flattened square-shaped
Meloui ("rolled") - Round, flattened coil-shaped
Oudnine el Kadi ("the judge's ears") - flattened or rosette-shaped
Rziza (R'zatte) el Kadi ("the judge's turban") - flattened, coil-shaped from spaghetti-thin strands of dough
Mekhtamrine - flattened, unfolded rounds made from leavened dough
Metlouh (Matlou') - thicker rounds made from leavened dough; may be left to rise before cooking to yield pita-like bread (batbout)
How to make Rghaif
Ingredients Needed:
All purpose flour - 5 cups
Semolina - 3/4 cup
Instant Yeast - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar -1/2 tsp
Warm water - 2 cups approx.
How to make Rghaif Dough
Take the flours in a wide bowl, add the yeast, salt, sugar and slowly add the warm water to knead to a soft dough. Let it rest for 30 mins.
Once ready to cook, you can divide into equal balls and proceed with the type of Rghaif you want to make.
I made plain Msemen, the Square Shaped Moroccan Pancakes served with Honey Butter syrup for the kids
Recipe
How to make Rghaif | Moroccan Pastry Dough
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vaishali sabnani says
That's a lot of research work Valli...the dough sounds simple and the varieties are tremendous...I know where to reach when I need to make Moroccon breads.
Priya Suresh says
Wonderful to make pastry dough at home na, we get varieties of msemen here especially in Arabic stores, obviously never tried my hands in making this pastry dough.
Btw loved that onion stuffed msemen very much..too tempting they are.
Sapana Behl says
Moroccan pastry dough recipe is a keeper.You showed all the ways to use it.Good one
Usha Rao says
Wow, this the base for so many breads.
Harini-Jaya R says
A very interesting bread. I am sure that my kids would love to have this as well.
Nivedhanams Sowmya says
hats off to your research valli.. so many varieties here!!
Nivedhanams Sowmya says
this pastry dough is a keeper!!! love this one!!
Sandhiya says
That's really a lot of research work..Hats off..btw the dough is a keeper for any moroccan recipe.
Srividhya says
Loved the names and their meaning. Great research.
Archana Potdar says
Wow you read on lead me to delicious recipes. I will just follow the leader...