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Tagella (Tuareg sand-baked bread)
Tagella: the Tuareg bread of the Hoggar, baked in hot sand and broken into tomato sauce
Out in the Hoggar mountains around Tamanrasset, Tuareg cooks bury a thick disc of dough in sand heated by a wood fire, cover it with embers and dig it up half an hour later with a dense, chewy crumb and a thick crust that is beaten clean of sand. The bread is then broken into pieces and soaked in a spicy tomato and onion sauce, a hearty meal for a camp or a desert evening; meat goes in when there is some, and this is the plain version cooked on ordinary days. At home, a very hot oven with a cast-iron pan gives a similar crust. Expect a filling, rustic dish with a smoky, peppery sauce. A frequent slip is making the dough too dry; it should be soft, or the thick round cracks and stays raw in the middle. Chef's tip: bake the bread until it sounds hollow when knocked, because an underbaked, doughy centre turns to paste in the sauce.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the bread
- 14 oz plain flour
- 3 ½ oz fine semolina
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
For the sauce
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 14 oz chopped tomatoesfresh or tinned
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups water
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour, 3 ½ oz fine semolina and 1 tsp salt, add 1 ¼ cups warm water and knead for 8 minutes into a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
28 minStep 2: Meanwhile, put a large cast-iron pan or pizza stone in the oven and heat it to 475°F (fan 425°F) for at least 20 minutes.
Step 3: Shape the dough into a thick round about 22 cm across and 2.5 cm thick. Prick it all over with a fork.
Step 4: Lay the dough on the hot pan and bake for 15 minutes, then turn it over and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until deeply browned and hollow-sounding when you knock on the base. (Over a wood fire, the traditional way is to bury it in a bed of hot sand under embers for the same time, then brush and beat off the sand.)
35 minStep 6: Add 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp dried chilli flakes and 1 tsp ground cumin and stir for 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste for another minute.
2 minStep 7: Add 14 oz chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp salt and 2 cups water and simmer for 20 minutes until slightly thickened and the oil glistens on top.
20 minStep 8: Let the bread cool for 5 minutes, then break it into bite-sized pieces with your hands.
5 minStep 9: Drop the pieces into the simmering sauce, turn them over gently and cook for 3 minutes so they soak up the sauce but still hold their shape. Serve hot, from one big dish.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 104 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tagella (Tuareg sand-baked bread) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 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).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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