Moroccan · Bread
Aghroum (Berber Hearth Bread)
Aghroum is the daily bread of Amazigh homes — a dense, barley-and-wheat flatbread shaped into a thick round and baked directly on a hot stone, in ashes, or in a heavy pan over the fire. Chewy, faintly sour and sturdy enough to scoop a tagine, it is the edible spoon of the mountains.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 300 g barley flour
- 200 g wheat flour, plus extra for shaping
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- About 320 ml warm water
- Semolina or cornmeal, for dusting
Method
- 1
Mix the dough
Combine both flours, salt and yeast, add warm water gradually and knead 10 minutes to a firm, slightly stiff dough — barley makes it less elastic than wheat.
- 2
Shape a round
Form into a thick disc about 2 cm high, dust with semolina and set on a tray or peel.
- 3
Prove
Cover and prove in a warm spot for 45 minutes to an hour until puffed but still dense.
- 4
Bake
Prick the top with a fork and bake at 220°C, or cook in a heavy dry pan over low heat with a lid, turning once, until deeply browned and hollow-sounding.
- 5
Cool
Wrap in a cloth and cool at least 15 minutes before tearing; barley bread firms as it cools.
Chef's tips
- Barley flour has little gluten, so the dough stays short and dense — don't expect an airy loaf.
- A very hot surface (stone, cast iron or a preheated tray) gives the crisp bottom crust that defines hearth bread.
- Turn pan-baked loaves so both flat sides brown; the bread is thick and needs heat from both sides.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use all barley flour?
You can, but the bread becomes very dense and crumbly. A wheat portion of 30–40% gives enough structure to slice and scoop with.
How is it traditionally baked?
In villages it is baked on a heated clay griddle or stone, or buried in the embers of a wood fire. A hot oven or heavy pan reproduces this well at home.