harcha a moroccan pan fried bread

Harcha (or harsha) is a Moroccan pan-fried 

bread made from semolina flour.
Although it 

looks a bit like an English muffin, it's more like 

cornbread in texture and taste. Recipes for 

harcha vary from family to family. This one's 

quite rich in that it uses all butter and milk – 

delicious, especially when hot from the griddle! 

See How to Make Harcha for a photo tutorial.

Offer harcha for tea time or breakfast; they're 

best served warm with jam, cheese or syrup 

made from melted butter and honey.

Also try Harcha with Za'atar and Harcha Stuffed 

with Onions, Herbs, Olives and Cheese.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: Approx. 12 3" flatbreads

Ingredients:

•  2cups (350 g) fine semolina flour
• 
  
•  3tablespoons sugar
• 
  
•  2teaspoons baking powder
• 
  
•  1/4teaspoon salt
• 
  
•  1/2cup (125 g) soft butter
• 
  
•  1/2to 3/4 cup (120 to 180 ml) milk
• ****************************
• 
  
•  1/4cup coarse semolina flour (optional)

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, blend together the fine 

semolina flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 

Add the butter, and blend well. (I use my hands 

to mix this dough).

Add 1/2 cup milk and mix until a dough forms. 

It should be quite moist and easily packed into a 

large mound. Add an additional milk if 

necessary to achieve this consistency.

Shape the dough into balls any size that you like 

– I make them about the size of small plums – 

and leave the dough to rest a few minutes.

Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium-

low heat. While the griddle is heating, roll the 

balls in the coarse semolina (this is optional for 

appearance and texture) and flatten each ball 

into a disc about 1/4" thick.

Cook the harcha over fairly low heat, about 7 to 

10 minutes on each side, until a pale to medium 

golden color. Turn only once, and check 

occasionally to be sure the harcha aren't 

coloring too quickly, as they need some time to 

cook all the way through.

Serve immediately with jam, cheese, or butter. 

Or, dip the harcha in syrup made from melted 

butter and honey. (To make the syrup, heat 

equal portions of the butter and honey until 

bubbly and hot.)

Harcha can be reheated in a pan or in a 350°F 

(180°C) oven for a few minutes. They store well 

in the freezer.