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Rougag (Saharan paper-thin flatbread)
Rougag: the paper-thin unleavened sheets of the Sahara, made for tearing into stews
Across the oases of the Algerian Sahara, from Biskra to Ouargla, women spread a soft semolina dough over a domed griddle so thin that light shows through it, then lift the sheet off within a couple of minutes. Rougag is the base of chakhchoukha and rfis, torn into pieces and soaked in sauce, but fresh sheets are also eaten folded around dates or a spoon of stew. Freshly made it is soft and flexible with toasty brown blisters; left to dry, it keeps for weeks in a tin. An upturned wok or a large non-stick pan stands in for the griddle. Chef's tip: oil your hands, not the pan; dough that is not wet enough to stretch is the common mistake, so it should feel almost too sticky to handle.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz fine semolina
- 3 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oilfor your hands and the board
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz fine semolina, 3 ½ oz plain flour and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Pour in 1 ¼ cups warm water and stir, then knead in the bowl for 10 minutes until the dough is very soft, glossy and stretchy. It should stick to your fingers.
10 minStep 2: Cover and rest for 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough will stretch thin without tearing.
30 minStep 3: Rub a little 1 tbsp vegetable oil on your hands and divide the dough into 8 balls. Cover them with a cloth.
Step 4: Heat a domed griddle, upturned wok or large non-stick pan over a medium heat.
Step 5: Oil a board with the rest of 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Press a ball out with your fingertips, then stretch it gently from the centre outwards into a sheet about 30 cm across, as thin as you can manage. Small holes do not matter.
Step 6: Drape the sheet over the hot griddle. Cook for 1 to 1½ minutes until it looks dry and has light brown spots underneath, then turn and cook for 30 seconds more. Take it off while it is still flexible; overcooked rougag cracks.
2 minStep 7: Stack the sheets under a cloth as you go, about 3 minutes per sheet. To keep them for chakhchoukha, dry the sheets on a rack for a day until brittle, break them up and store in an airtight tin.
22 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 76 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rougag (Saharan paper-thin flatbread) take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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