I don’t buy many bread books anymore, but this one was a happy exception.
Hot Bread Kitchen is a non-profit social enterprise based in New York City which aims to bring about social change by empowering low-income, minority and immigrant individuals (largely women). The organisation has grown to include business training and incubation, but it began with and continues to be based around a bakery – one which enables its employees to create, sell and preserve the bread recipes of their homelands. This is their first cookbook and it’s glorious, full of traditional techniques as well as recipes for the dishes that usually accompanied the breads.
I made their Moroccan M’smen recipe just hours after I’d downloaded my Kindle copy of the book. It’s surprisingly similar to Malaysian Roti Chanai, so much so that we ate it that night with a chicken curry.
With permission from HBK, here’s the recipe:
- 500g plain (AP) flour
- 100g fine semolina
- 1½ teaspoons (6g) kosher salt (I used Malden Salt Flakes instead)
- 400g water
- 95g canola oil, plus more for shaping
- 85g salted butter, melted
Step 1: Put the flour, semolina and salt into a heavy duty stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the water and 10g of the oil, then mix slowly until combined. Increase the speed to medium and mix for about six minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Step 2: Coat a rimmed baking tray with oil. Coat the benchtop with oil, then transfer the dough to the oiled surface. Divide it into 12 roughly equal balls (the traditional method given in the book is to form your thumb and index finger into a ring and squeeze the pieces off). Roll each ball in the oil and place them on the baking sheet, keeping them separate from one another. Now cover the entire tray with cling film and allow it to rest at room temp for 30 minutes, or up to eight hours (I made mine in the morning and let them rest until lunch time). The longer resting time allows the gluten to relax, making the shaping easier.
Step 3: Put the 85g oil in a small bowl and mix with the melted butter.
Step 4: Re-oil the benchtop. Take one piece of dough and flatten it out with your hands to form a circle about 25cm across. You want to get it as thin as possible. Using your hands, smear over a tablespoon of the butter mixture, then sprinkle over a teaspoon or so of semolina…
Step 5: Using a spatula, lightly mark a line in the middle of the circle as a guide. Fold the top over to about 1.5cm below the line. Then repeat for the remaining three sides to form the dough into a small square…
Step 6: Transfer the folded dough back to the baking sheet, seam side down, and let rest for another 15 minutes. Repeat with the other balls of dough, warming up the butter mixture if it begins to solidify.
Step 7: Starting with the first folded piece, lightly oil a sheet of parchment, then place the square of oily dough on top and spread it out with the palms of your hand to form an 18cm square. Repeat with the remaining dough. It helps to have two sets of hands at this point, so one can cook while the other one shapes. Don’t stack the sheets on top of each other or they’ll stick.
Step 8: Heat a large griddle (I used a stainless steel frypan) over medium high heat until a drop of water sizzles almost immediately. Flip the m’smen paper side up onto the hot surface and peel the paper off once the dough starts to cook and firm up…
The dough will turn translucent first…
…then brown up in spots. The total cooking time will be approximately two to three minutes on each side…
These are incredibly delicious eaten warm, either Moroccan style with honey and sweet fresh mint tea, or Malaysian style, torn and dunked into a spicy chicken curry. They’ll keep in the fridge for five days in an airtight container (good luck with that, ours were eaten within hours of cooking) and can be reheated in a dry pan for a minute each side before serving…
. . . . .
The next recipe I tried was HBK’s signature Nan-e Barbari (as pictured on the cover of their book). If you’re making this, there’s a slight hiccup in the ingredients list – the water quantity should be 350g instead of 450g. They advised me on twitter that it will be corrected in the next edition.
Nan-e Barbari is an intriguing recipe, as the proved dough is coated in roomal (a flour and water paste), which adds moisture to the bread as it bakes. The end result is a crust which reminds me of the one on traditionally kettled bagels.
The finished loaves are wickedly good, with a wonderful aroma from the nigella seeds…
. . . . .
If you’re after a new (non-sourdough) bread book, this one is well worth a look. Best of all, the proceeds from your purchase will be going to a good cause!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
That is impressive work. One of my favorite breads.
Mmmm. That looks delicious!
Thanks for the review, only last night I was tossing up whether to buy this book. Good to get a review from a trusted source. Think I might have to give it a go. Your breads look so good
Anne, it’s a great book, with lots of stories as well!
I want this book! It has got good reviews and sounds like just my thing. Yotam Ottolenghi did a great review of it on the food52 website for anyone interested in reading more. Thanks for the recipe!
It’s an intriguing read – I bought the Kindle version and it’s well formatted..
Darn that looks delicious, Celia xx
That Nan-e Barbari looks really tempting. Must seek out the book.
Fra, the recipe is here, just remember to correct the water down to 350g…
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/nan-e-barbari
PS. I used 8g yeast and 6g fine sea salt. Cx
Thanks Celia.xx
I’m sure these are delicious no matter what you eat them with! But I’d personally be inclined to have them with the spicy curry. Yum!!
As always you’ve turned out beautiful breads with these newest recipes. I really love the looks of that first one and can guarantee that it wouldn’t last very long in my house either.
Di, if you make them, be prepared to de-oil the kitchen afterwards. It ends up on every surface! :)
Well, methinks you know my disgraceful baking history in having a starter sent from the US to still be lost somewhere at the back of my fridge after a couple of years, now long dead for lack of time :) !! But love roti and this is similar and even a novice like me I believe can follow this recipe . . . . Wonderful cause . . .
Eha, the roti is surprisingly easy, if messy. Good thing to cook on a hot day too, as you don’t have to turn the oven on!
Thanks for bringimg this book to our attention. I think I will buy it. Your breads look great
The book sounds fabulous, Celia.
gorgeous! Talk about not wasting time, Celia! You certainly jumped on this one!
very nice, I’ve never made a bread like this, but my computer has quite a few recipes assembled over the years – I should really go for it soon
hope all is going well with you, your health, your family….
I love Barbari bread, since I was married to a Persian man, this became part of my daily breakfast. Never thought to make it on my own. You are amazing Celia in you passion of making bread, so much to learn from you. Thank you for always sharing your great talent
Cornelia, thank you! The barbari bread is easy to make – just make sure you reduce the water in the recipe to 350g (which is just a little under 1.5 cups American). The recipe is online here:
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/nan-e-barbari
Thank you dear Celia
Very unique bread! Looks delicious.
Celia I think I just mentally ate a dozen of those Morrocan m’smens!!! With some Labnah & olives!!! You & your tempting bakes are sending me nuts!!! Haha. God bless you! X
These recipes sound wonderful, I’ll look for the book, thanks.
What a brilliant book and naturally you will bake everything to perfection.
Have a wonderful love filled weekend Celia.
:-) Mandy xo
Jamaican roti uses the same type of folding technique and it’s delicious, so I bet this one is great too. I love the look of that second loaf, beautiful.
Eva, thank you – I’ve baked the barbari recipe twice now, and it’s always a hit with the boys!
These did remind me of the breads we had eaten at Mamak in Sydney. I loved those. Both breads seem do- able. I also bought a book sometime ago called the Bread and Butter Project which comes from a bakery in Sydney that has the same ideals as the people who’ve written your book. Bread does many things doesn’t it.
Oooh ta, Jan. I’ll look out for it!
This book is on my wish list. I could have some fun with it. Both your breads look tasty and I’m sure neither would last long in our house either!
They both look great – that a lot of oil in the m’smen though isn’t it?? Looks tasty though!!
Oh truckloads.. :) That’s what makes it so good… :D
I can imagine!!
Mistake to be reading this at dinner time when there is no dinner in sight – but which I’m pretty sure will now include some bready-goodness.
They look amazing and I love the concept behind the initiative. And now I finally have a tablet so am starting to download books so will check this one out!
I reckon you’d enjoy it as much for the stories as the recipes, T!
Both bread look fantastic, Celia. I’ve been cooking a few Asian dishes lately but need a good “dipping” bread for accompaniment. I think Moroccan M’smen would be perfect! Thanks, too, for the heads up re: the HBK book.It’s a great idea for a great cause. I’ll definitely download it.
John, the m’smen is a bit of a messy thing to make, but the recipe makes 12 pieces, and apparently they freeze well, so perfect for single dining! :)
Thanks for the review Celia, I will check that book out. It will be particularly useful if they say if breads can be frozen.