Enjoy this fast and easy recipe for Moroccan Frena bread, it’s like a big fluffy Focaccia. What makes it special and simple to make, is that everything goes together in the mixer, is left to rise and the best part- it works every time! Don’t forget to knead vigorously for a long time to get as much air into the dough, which will make it fluffy later.You can also try toppings like blue cheese and dates turning it into a savory sort of Focaccia Pizza.
Moroccan Style Frena Bread, with Toppings
Servings
1 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram 7 cups white flour
- 3 1/2 cups 830 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- ½ cup good quality olive oil
Instructions
- Place salt on the bottom of the mixing bowl. Sift flour on top. In the center of the flour make a small hole to fit sugar and dry yeast. Cover with about half a cup of water.
- Start kneading with the kneading attachment slowly adding water. You must keep it working for a long time, around 10 minutes to allow air to get into the dough. The dough is runny, don’t worry this is how it’s supposed to be.
- When done, transfer to a slightly olive oiled rising bowl, and pour the rest of the olive oil on top and sides to cover well. Let rise for about 1 hour.
- After 1 hour when the dough has risen, lightly knead the dough to release the air and transfer to a baking tray covered with a baking sheet. Stretch the dough to give it a rectangle shape or leave as it pours for a “Baladi” shape. With your thumbs create little holes.
- Leave plain, or: *Sprinkle with fresh or dry herbs like Za’atar – hyssop, thyme, rosemary, crushed coriander seeds etc. *Pitted black Kalamta olives and cherry tomatoes or sundried tomato slivers.
- Transfer to an oven preheated to 160 C (320F) degrees and bake until golden (about 45 minutes).
It is almost like a foccacia, the oil for spreading over a bread and a pan works great so it will be crispy and smell nice. If you are not a fan of salt, as I am not I have reduced it from the first time I cooked this bread. Instead you can use nice olives on top of it, which will give it as well a nice salty touch. I have even make a small portion which means I have divided a recipe to 3 and it is a lot for two who do not eat a lot of bread, but like it with cheese and a glass of wine. Be teavon!
made it and it was good, however it tastes quite salty. The recipe calls for 2T I would half it. Also i made half of the batch on a cookie sheet and half of it on a pizza stone, the one on the stone came out better.
It means little impressions, sorry for the confusion.
What does it mean to make holes with your thumbs?
Does it mean little impressions or a hole all the way through?
Yes and it works.
so there’s no oil in the dough? the entire half cup is only used to grease the bowl and the outside of the dough when it’s in the bowl to rise?
I made this for Shabbat and it came out great, very much like foccacia bread and it was incredibly easy. I spread the dough out on a large baking sheet and it filled the whole sheet, this makes a lot of bread – way too much for my family of 5, so we are going to make pizza out of the leftovers. I topped it with garlic and parsley and I used half whole wheat flour.