A popular Moroccan bread served for breakfast, snack or with afternoon tea. Harcha is one of the most versatile bread you can ever eat. Fill it with jam, butter, honey, cheese or whatever you heart desires.
Total time 40 minutes
Harch or Harsha is a Moroccan semolina bread close to the English muffins yet very different in taste and much more thinner. The texture is more like the cornbread.
Harcha is enjoyed in breakfast or with the afternoon tea, can be filled with cheese, butter and honey spread, chocolate, jam, and much more.
Harcha bread
Harcha basically means rough, and this is due to the face that this bread has an outer rough texture as it is spread over a semolina layer.
Hot to make Harcha
- In a small bowl, add yeast, half the sugar and ¼ cup of warm water. Mix well and leave to proof for 10 minutes.
- In a deep bowl, mix together semolina, remaining sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Pour in the olive oil and melted butter and mix with your finger tips making sure semolina granules are covered well with the olive oil and butter. It should look more like a graham-cracker crust.
- Add the yeast mixture and mix.
- Gradually add warm water until you get a smooth dough.
- Cover and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat a pan or a griddle on medium.
- Flatten the dough on a semolina covered surface to about ¼ inch thickness.Using a large cookie cutter cut rounded mini Harchas . Reduce heat to low, place the harcha and cook thoroughly for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Harcha notes:
- Many people make this bread with butter and milk for a richer harcha. This recipe came from a Moroccan friend as her family favorite.
- Harcha keeps well in the freezer. Simply reheat in oven or on stovetop to freshen them up.
- I loved dipping Harcha in rich olive oil, it tastes amazing.
Enjoy by spreading butter, or with jam, honey, cream cheese, or any kind of cheese or simply by dipping it in olive oil. Do not forget the tea it is the perfect companion :).
Related Recipes
- Unleavened bread is easy to make and does not require any special ingredients or equipment. All you need is flour, water, olive oil and salt.
- Whole wheat pita bread is a nutty soft pita bread made from whole wheat flour mixture. Great for making falafel sandwich, dipping in Hummus or using using to mop up stews and soups.
- With just a few key ingredients, you can bring the taste of Morocco to your kitchen with this easy Harira Soup Recipe. A filling and warming recipe that you need to try.
Harcha bread
A popular Moroccan bread served for breakfast, snack or with afternoon tea. Harcha is one of the most versatile bread you can ever eat. Fill it with jam, butter, honey, cheese or whatever you heart desires.
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Servings: 5
Calories: 266.7kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups fine semolina.
- ½ teaspoon baking powder.
- 1 teaspoon of dry yeast.
- 1 Tablespoon sugar divided.
- ¼ cup warm water for proofing the yeast.
- ¼ teaspoon salt.
- ½ cup olive oil . Note1
- 1 Tablespoon butter melted.
- ¼ - ½ cup of warm water for the dough. Note2
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add yeast, half the sugar and ¼ cup of warm water. Mix well and leave to proof for 10 minutes.
- In a deep bowl, mix together semolina, remaining sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Pour in the olive oil and melted butter and mix with your finger tips making sure semolina granules are covered well with the olive oil and butter. It should look more like a graham-cracker crust.
- Add the yeast mixture and mix.
- Gradually add warm water until you get a smooth dough.
- Cover and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat a pan or a griddle on medium.
- Flatten the dough on a semolina covered surface to about ¼ inch thickness.Using a large cookie cutter cut rounded mini Harchas . Reduce heat to low, place the harcha and cook thoroughly for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Let it cool down a bit before serving.
Notes
Note1: You can use melted butter instead.
Note2: You can make it with warm milk. Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Note2: You can make it with warm milk. Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Nutrition
Calories: 266.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.3g | Fat: 24.8g | Saturated Fat: 4.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16.7g | Cholesterol: 6.2mg | Sodium: 33.2mg | Potassium: 12.9mg | Fiber: 0.3g
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This recipe originally published March 2014. Updated for some housekeeping things on June 2020. No change to the recipe.
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Melaney
Hi Amira, so glad I found this site!My husband is Egyptian and we lived in various countries in the Middle East spanning 20 years.I have started trying your recipes and they bring back memories of my time there.Thank you so much!
Amira
Thank you so much Melaney for your comment and feedback, I hope you like what you try from here. If your hubby craves any recipe you do not know, do not hesitate to contact me.
Janet
I made it but nobody ate anything
Amira
Janet, What about you? May be they are just not willing to try something new.
Noor
I do love making this bread especially during Ramadan with harira.
Amira
It is very easy and delicious one. Thanks Noor.
Liz
Your harcha sounds wonderful! I've never heard of this type of bread, but I'd be happy to partake 🙂
John@Kitchen Riffs
I've had this bread before! It's wonderful. But never made it. I absolutely will someday -- it's wonderful stuff. So glad you made this -- I'd actually forgotten all about it (it's been decades since I've had it). Good stuff -- thanks.
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan
WOW - yum - so love the texture of this bread!
Marie
It looks good and delicious. I can even smell its good taste from where I am sitting. I tried it some time ago but it didn't work very well.
I'll have another go tonight!!
Amira
I hope you will like it this time Marie.
Vanessa
I can nearly smell and taste how good it must be! Love semolina bread!
Do you think I can prepare it with millet semolina or is it only with wheat semolina?
Thanks.
Amira
They are great I hope you try them one day.
Amira
It should be made with fine semolina so well you'll never know until you try 🙂 make half the patch and see.
Joanne T Ferguson
G'day! I have never heard of Harcha before, so thank you Amira for allowing me to learn something new!
Cheers! Joanne
Dalia
I love Harcha so so much but I have a kid who is allergic to milk and I've never thought it could be done without milk!!! Thank you so much. I have to try this.
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You
What a great bread recipe, Amira! Nothing with semolina can go wrong plus I am a fan of Moroccan cuisine!!!
Henna
I saw this in my inbox and I was instantly intrigued! I've never seen or heard of Harcha, but this looks delicious! I bet it would be amazing for breakfast with poached egg 😀
Coffee and Crumpets
It's like you read my mind! I was looking at this recipe just last week and thinking to make it for dinner. I never did because I ran out of time. Looks really yummy! If I have time this week, I will try your recipe!