Tabouna Bread

A dense, honeycombed crumb protected by a seed-topped crust. The scent of leavened dough and hot olive oil seized by heat fills the room straight out of the oven.

• Prep time: 90 min
• Cook time: 15 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 540
• Protein: 15 g
• Carbs: 91 g
• Fat: 11 g

Ingredients

• 400 g Durum wheat semolina ( fine )
• 100 g Wheat flour ( sifted )
• 20 g Fresh baker's yeast
• 300 ml Mineral water ( lukewarm )
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp Gray sea salt
• 1 tbsp Sesame seed ( for topping )
• 1 tbsp Nigella seeds

Instructions

1. Yeast activation

   In a bowl, dissolve the fresh baker's yeast in warm mineral water. Let it rest until a fine foam appears on the surface.

2. Kneading the dough

   Mix the durum wheat semolina, wheat flour, and grey sea salt. Pour in the water-yeast mixture and olive oil. Knead vigorously until the dough is supple, smooth, and no longer sticks to the sides of the container.

3. First rise

   Cover with a damp cloth. Let it double in volume in a warm place. The dough should be puffy and elastic to the touch.

4. Shaping and finishing

   Degas the dough. Divide into portions and form thick discs. Mark the center with your fingers, brush with a little water, and sprinkle with sesame and nigella seeds, pressing lightly.

5. High-heat baking

   Bake at 220°C on a hot tray. The bread should brown and the crust should become firm. The bread is cooked when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Chef's tips

• If you have a pizza stone, use it to mimic the heat of traditional clay oven walls.
• Do not overwork the dough after the first rise to preserve the crumb's honeycomb structure.

Storage

Wrap in a clean cloth. Keeps for 2 days. Can be reheated for a few minutes in the oven to regain crispness.