Kesra
This Algerian semolina and wheat flatbread rises with yeast, browns in an oiled skillet and finishes crisp in the oven. It is the author's leavened adaptation, not the unleavened semolina baseline.
Khobz el dar
An Algerian round loaf made with semolina, wheat flour, milk, egg and sesame; this source version uses an overnight-free yeast method with three rests and an egg glaze.
A source-specific home loaf
Allrecipes presents this formula as Algerian khobz el dar. Its single measured batch makes one loaf for eight servings and combines semolina with all-purpose flour, milk, egg and sesame. Other household versions are outside the scope of this entry.
This is separate from the Moroccan khobz entry in the catalogue. Shared use of the word khobz does not establish that the two recipes are the same regional form.
Sources for this section
A soft, sticky dough
The first mixture is loose: semolina, sesame, sugar, yeast, salt, vegetable oil, one whole egg and the white of a second egg are combined with lukewarm milk. After it becomes frothy, flour is mixed in. The dough remains sticky; add extra flour a tablespoon at a time until it pulls away from the bowl.
The formula uses ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons semolina, 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, and 2 additional tablespoons flour or more as needed. It does not give a weight equivalent, so the original cup and spoon amounts are retained.
Sources for this section
Three rests, then an egg glaze
The source method allows about an hour for the first mixture to foam, 30 minutes after the flour is added and another hour for the shaped loaf to double in a warm place. The dough is shaped as one round on a lined baking sheet rather than baked in a loaf tin.
Before baking, the reserved yolk is beaten with a teaspoon of water and brushed over the loaf. Sesame seeds finish the top. The page lists 20–25 minutes of baking and uses a golden-brown crust as its cue.
Sources for this section
Evidence and handling
Allrecipes prints its oven setting as 400°F (200°C). Those two values are not an exact conversion, so the source's paired figures are retained without correction. It also gives no numeric proofing temperature or tested scale-up method.
Raw flour and eggs can carry harmful bacteria. Do not taste the dough before baking. Keep raw ingredients away from ready-to-eat food and clean hands, bowls and work surfaces after handling.
Sources for this section
History
The archive and Allrecipes identify this source-specific preparation as Algerian khobz el dar. The recipe page documents one contemporary household-style formula, not the full range of Algerian house breads or their first historical appearance.
Ingredients
Yield 1 loaf (8 servings) · Scaling: source batch only
118 mL½ cup as recorded
Plus 2 tablespoons44 mL3 tbsp as recorded
Divided: 2 tbsp in the dough and 1 tbsp for toppingWhite sugar
15 mL1 tbsp as recorded
4.9 mL1 tsp as recorded
3.7 mL¾ tsp as recorded
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
1
Whole egg for the doughEgg, separatedSeparate; use the white in the dough and reserve the yolk for the glaze.
1
Separated egg237 mL1 cup as recorded
651 mL2¾ cup as recorded
Plus 2 tablespoons, and more as needed4.9 mL1 tsp as recorded
For the egg-yolk glazeMethod
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Raw flour and dough
Raw flour may carry harmful bacteria.
Hazard sourceRaw egg
The dough contains raw egg and the reserved yolk is used for glazing before baking.
Hazard sourceDo not taste uncooked dough. Keep flour and raw egg away from ready-to-eat foods, then wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling.
Control sourceBake the loaf fully before serving.
Control sourceDo not taste raw dough. Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw flour and egg.
- Combine the semolina, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, sugar, active dry yeast and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the vegetable oil, whole egg and separated egg white.
- Add the lukewarm milk gradually, stirring until the mixture is loose. Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature for about 1 hour, until frothy.
- Stir in 2¾ cups all-purpose flour until a sticky dough forms. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment. Dust the dough and your hands with some of the extra flour. Work in more flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from the bowl.
- Shape the dough into a round loaf and set it on the lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), using the recipe's printed values. The conversion is not exact; the original source gives both figures.
- Beat the reserved egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Brush the loaf with this glaze and scatter the remaining tablespoon of sesame seeds over the top.
- Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Conditions
Yield1 loaf (8 servings)
Active time30 min
Fermentation2.5 h
Places
Algeria
Documented preparation · Country evidenceAllrecipes identifies this one formula as Algerian; the association does not imply one universal recipe or an exclusive origin claim.
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Sources
AllrecipesInspiration · Method · Geography
Khobz el Dar (Algerian Semolina Bread)Algerian identification; source-batch ingredient quantities and one-loaf/eight-serving yield; three proof/rest intervals; round shaping, egg-yolk glaze, sesame topping, and baking at the listed 400°F (200°C) for about 20–25 minutes.
Cited in: A source-specific home loaf; A soft, sticky dough; Three rests, then an egg glaze; Evidence and handling
U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSafety
Handling Flour Safely: What You Need to KnowRaw flour may carry harmful bacteria; do not taste raw flour or dough; keep flour away from ready-to-eat food and wash hands and surfaces after handling. The guidance also covers raw eggs and cooking foods made with flour and eggs.
Cited in: Evidence and handling