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Ksra is a Moroccan Anise Flatbread served
usually as a midday meal. It is very similar to Indian Naan. Using this bread
machine recipe makes it even easier to make.
Check out Linda's Bread Making Hints:
Secrets to using the bread
machine, About
yeast in bread making,
Sourdough Starter,
Quick
Breads.
Check out all of Linda's great
Bread Recipes
for your bread making.
Moroccan Sourdough
Bread - Ksra Bread
Recipe Type:
Sourdough Bread
Yields: 1 large loaf
Prep time: 15 min
Rise time: 1 to 3 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 4 hour
Ingredients:
1 cup
sourdough starter, room temperature*
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons
olive oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon
anise seeds
1 cup whole wheat
flour
2 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose
flour**
1 teaspoon Instant Active Dry
Yeast
* If you don't presently have a sourdough starter, either
make your own
sourdough starter
or purchase
Packaged Sourdough Starter Mix
by mail-order.
** The thickness of your sourdough starter can determine how much flour needs to be used. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time).
Preparation:
Add all the ingredients in the bread pan of bread machine. Process according to manufacturer's instructions for a dough setting.
NOTE: Don't be afraid to open the lid and check the dough. It should form a nice elastic ball.
When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove the dough from the pan to a lightly
floured surface. Knead the dough several times and form the dough into an oval; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl. Place a damp towel over the bowl and then cover with plastic wrap (the humidity in the bowl helps in the rising process). Let rise until it doubles in volume
(when you can put your finger in the dough and it leaves and indentation and doesn't spring back out) approximately 4 to 8 hours (depending on the temperature and the starter used, the rising time can vary as much as 2 hours).
Oven Bread Rising: Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again. This will warm the oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can't comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door, the oven is too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit. Sourdough rises more slowly than yeast bread; Always remember, the longer the rise time, the more sourdough flavor.
Cool or Refrigerator Bread Rise: If I don't have the time
to wait for the rise to finish or I know that I will be interrupted before the
completed rise, I do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in the
refrigerator and left to rise slowly over night approximately 8 to 12 hours. I
usually do this after the first rise and the dough has been shaped into a loaf.
As this is a longer rise time, it improves the sourdough flavor in your finished
bread.
After dough has risen, remove from bowl, and place on a lightly floured board. Knead in flour to feed it one more time before baking. Shape dough into a
oval shape and place on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet that is dusted with cornmeal (I use the new
Silicone Baking Mats instead of cornmeal). Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. After rising, slash the bread with a bread razor or a very sharp knife making three 1/2-inch deep diagonal slashes. Brush or spray the top of the bread with cold water and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until nicely browned.
(A good check is to use an instant
digital thermometer
to test your bread. The temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees.)
 This
is the type of thermometer that I use in my cooking.
I get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking
and baking. I, personally, use the
RT600C Thermometer
(show in the photo on the right). To learn more about this inexpensive excellent thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just
click on the underlined: RT600C Thermometer.
Remove from oven and place the bread on a wire rack to cool. Let baked loaf cool for 30 minutes before cutting (this is because the bread is still cooking while it is cooling).
Makes 1 large loaf.
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