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Matlouk (Claudia Roden's dairy-free oven method)

Matlouk · Matlou · Matlouh · Kesra matlou

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A dairy-free Algerian semolina bread made with yeast, shaped as one round loaf, brushed with egg yolk and baked in a 400°F oven.

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Golden-brown round Algerian semolina Matlouk loaf, baked and split to show its soft pale crumb.

A dairy-free oven-baked Matlouk

Claudia Roden's recipe, reprinted by Epicurious with permission from Knopf, gives one dairy-free semolina loaf associated with Algeria. Roden notes that griddle or skillet baking is sometimes used in Algeria, but did not work well for her; this is her oven-baked version. It is one source-specific formula, not a universal Matlou recipe.

A 2014 food-science review independently describes Mathlouaa as a common Algerian leavened semolina bread and discusses cooking on a clay tajine. That review supplies context, not the measurements or oven method used here.

Sources for this section

Dough, proof and bake

The measured batch uses 3 cups fine semolina, 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, 1 cup lukewarm water, a pinch of sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and one egg yolk. A drop of oil coats the dough; extra oil and semolina or cornmeal prepare the baking sheet. Water is added gradually until the dough gathers into a ball.

After 10 minutes of vigorous kneading, shape one 9-inch round, cover it and leave it in a warm place for 1½ hours, until doubled. Brush on egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water just before baking. Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, or until brown and hollow-sounding underneath. The source does not set a numeric proof temperature.

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Food handling

Semolina is raw flour: do not taste the dough, keep it away from ready-to-eat foods, and wash hands, tools and surfaces after handling it. Wash hands and equipment before and after contact with raw egg; apply the egg wash immediately before the source's bake. Use care with the hot oven and baking sheet. The source gives no storage duration or measured internal endpoint.

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Serving context and different leavening

The French national bakers' confederation's Matlouh entry on Google Arts & Culture describes the bread alongside soups and dishes served in sauce. It records both tagine and oven cooking. This supports a meal-accompaniment role without making either heat source the only regional practice.

That entry describes sourdough matlouh. Roden's measured loaf uses active dry yeast, so the account supplies context rather than a starter conversion. It also does not turn the older milk-and-griddle recipe into an equivalent of this dairy-free oven batch.

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History

A 2014 review describes Mathlouaa as one of the leavened semolina breads commonly prepared in Algeria. Claudia Roden's measured Matlouk recipe is a dairy-free oven-baked home version; her note says griddle or skillet baking did not work well for her. This does not establish an exclusive origin, canonical formula or first attestation.

Ingredients

Yield 1 9-inch round loaf · Scaling: source batch only

Active dry yeast
15 mL1 tbsp as recorded
Lukewarm waterUse half to activate the yeast and add the rest gradually to the dough.
237 mL1 cup as recorded
Water for egg washMix with the egg yolk for brushing immediately before baking.
15 mL1 tbsp as recorded
SugarA pinch to activate the yeast.
A pinch
Salt
2.5 mL½ tsp as recorded
Fine semolinaUse extra to dust the baking sheet if desired; the source also allows cornmeal.
710 mL3 cup as recorded
Neutral oilUse a drop to coat the dough and additional oil to grease the baking sheet.
Amount not stated
A drop for the bowl; as needed for the sheet
Egg yolkMix with 1 tablespoon water for the wash.
1
Cornmeal (optional)Optional alternative to semolina for dusting the oiled baking sheet.
As needed

Method

Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Raw semolina dough

Raw flour can carry harmful bacteria; do not taste the uncooked dough.

Hazard source
Raw egg yolk wash

The egg-yolk wash is raw until it is baked onto the loaf.

Hazard source
Hot oven and baking sheet

The loaf bakes on an oiled hot baking sheet.

Hazard source

Do not taste raw dough; keep semolina and dough away from ready-to-eat foods, then wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling.

Control source

Wash hands, utensils, equipment and work areas before and after handling raw egg. Apply the egg-yolk wash immediately before baking the loaf.

Control source

Use care when placing and removing the baking sheet from the hot oven.

Control source

Contains wheat (gluten) and egg. The source gives brown colour and a hollow-sounding underside as bake cues but no internal-temperature endpoint.

  1. Dissolve the yeast in half the lukewarm water. Add a pinch of sugar and leave for about 10 minutes, until frothy.
  2. In a bowl, sprinkle the salt over the semolina and work in the yeast mixture. Add the remaining water gradually, using only enough for the dough to gather into a ball.
  3. Put a drop of oil in the bowl and turn the dough so it is lightly coated. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes in the bowl or on a board.
  4. Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten it by hand into a round about 9 inches across. Set it on an oiled baking sheet dusted lightly with semolina or cornmeal.
  5. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 1½ hours, until doubled. The source does not give a numeric proofing temperature.
  6. Mix the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush it over the loaf immediately before baking.
  7. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 30 minutes, or until brown and the underside sounds hollow when tapped. Cool before serving.

Conditions

Yield1 9-inch round loaf
Fermentation1.5 h

Places

Algeria

Documented preparation · Country evidence

Claudia Roden's source presents this home method as Matlouk associated with Algeria; no narrower birthplace or universal formula is claimed.

See Algeriaon the mapLocation source 1 → · Location source 2 →

Related

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