Moroccan · Bread
Aghroum (Atlas Mountain Flatbread)
Aghroum is the Amazigh flatbread of the High Atlas — a simple, unleavened or lightly leavened round traditionally baked buried in the embers and hot sand of an open fire, giving it a smoky crust and dense crumb. Made at home on a griddle or hot stone, it is the bread that has fed mountain families for generations.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 400 g bread flour (or half barley, half wheat)
- 100 g fine semolina
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried yeast (optional, for a light rise)
- About 320 ml warm water
- Fine semolina, for dusting
Method
- 1
Make a firm dough
Mix the flour, semolina, salt and optional yeast, add water and knead 8 minutes to a firm, smooth dough.
- 2
Rest
Cover and rest 40 minutes (or 1 hour if using yeast) so the dough relaxes.
- 3
Shape
Shape into a thick round about 2 cm high on a semolina-dusted surface.
- 4
Bake on heat
Cook on a very hot stone, cast-iron pan or under embers, turning, 20–25 minutes until the crust is set, blistered and the inside cooked.
Chef's tips
- A preheated cast-iron pan or baking stone mimics the fierce, even heat of the ember fire.
- Traditional aghroum is often barely leavened — do not expect a light, fluffy crumb.
Frequently asked questions
How is aghroum traditionally cooked?
In the mountains it is baked directly in the hot ash and sand of a fire, then brushed clean — giving its characteristic smoky, rustic crust.
Can I use barley flour?
Yes — a barley-wheat blend is very traditional in the Atlas and gives a nuttier, denser loaf.