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Those on a gluten-free diet in Morocco know the challenge of finding or making a properly textured gluten-free Moroccan bread to replace regular Moroccan bread (khobz).
That’s because bread is famously used in place of utensils to scoop up Moroccan salads, sides and main dishes.
Eating by hand is the norm in Morocco, and it’s not only acceptable but encouraged to clean one’s plate and soak up sauce with pieces of crusty, chewy bread.
An Easy Gluten Free Bread or Sandwich Roll Recipe
This gluten-free bread recipe works well for all of that and more. The dough can be shaped into free-form loaves that resemble khobz or into sandwich-sized rolls.
Be sure to select a high-quality gluten free flour mix intended for making bread. The mix should be yeast-free as you’ll be adding yeast yourself.
The bread shown here was made using Schär Mix B
, which is my preferred brand here in Morocco but may be hard to find in the US.
If you’re in the US, you might want to try using King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill products. Again, be sure that the mix you buy is recommended for bread recipes and not limited to cakes or cookies.
Do You Need to Use Xanthan Gum?
Xanthan gum isn’t required in this recipe, but I am aware that it’s often recommended in gluten free baking and have used it in other recipes.
If your gluten-free bread flour mix doesn’t contain xanthan gum and you want to use it, the standard amount is 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup of gluten-free flour. You might want to experiment to see if it makes a notable difference in your results.
The shelf life for homemade gluten-free Moroccan bread is quite short. Freeze leftovers to preserve that fresh-baked quality and texture.
Gluten-Free Khobz Recipe – Gluten-Free Moroccan Bread
Equipment
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the Starter
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp gluten-free flour - (yeast-free bread mix)
- 3 tbsp warm water
For the Dough
- 2 cups gluten-free flour - (yeast-free bread mix)
- 1 tsp salt - (omit if included in your GF bread flour)
- 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup warm water - (approx.)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the starter ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then a towel, and set aside until foamy and doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Add the 2 cups of gluten-free flour, salt, oil and water to the starter. Use a rubber spatula to combine the ingredients to form a wet, sticky, spongy dough. It should be too sticky to handle but not as thin as a batter. Adjust flour or water if necessary to get that texture.
- Use the spatula to turn over and “knead” the dough several times. Cover the bowl with plastic and then a towel, and leave to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- After rising, the dough will have absorbed more liquid and will be easier to handle. Dust the dough with a little gluten-free flour or oil your hands to prevent the dough from sticking to you. Divide the dough into four portions and shape into loaves on a lightly floured surface.
- Transfer the shaped dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (For Moroccan bread, a smoothed, rounded mound of dough can be left to rest, covered, for 10 minutes then patted down into a flattened circle.) Cover loosely with plastic wrap and then with a towel, and leave to rise until light and puffy, about 30 to 60 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 450° F (230° C). Prick each loaf in several places with a fork then bake in the preheated oven until light golden, about 15 to 20 minutes depending on size and shape. (If the bread is pale, turn on the broiler to help with coloring the last few minutes.) The bread will feel hard when tapped but should soften as it cools.
- Transfer the bread to a rack or towel-lined basket to cool before serving. Once cooled completely, it can be stored in the freezer where it will keep for up to a month.
Notes
- Depending on your gluten free flour mix and your oven, you may find it challenging to get a nice golden color to this bread. One trick that works for me is to fully preheat the oven, then turn on the broiler element when placing the bread in the oven. After several minutes, I turn off the broiler and continue baking normally with the oven element. I find this yields more even coloring than using the broiler element for browning at the end of baking.
- Xanthan gum is not included in the list of ingredients but you can use it if you like. The standard amount for bread recipes is 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup of gluten free flour. Be sure you’re using a mix that’s suitable for bread baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate obtained from online calculators. Optional ingredients may not be included in the nutritional information.
About the Author
Christine Benlafquih is Founding Editor at Taste of Maroc and owner of Taste of Casablanca, a food tour and culinary activity business in Casablanca. A long time resident of Morocco, she's written extensively about Moroccan cuisine and culture. She was the Moroccan Food Expert for The Spruce Eats (formerly About.com) from 2008 to 2016.
Farah Khemili
Friday 30th of September 2022
Hi! Not sure if you are ever asked this but I am Keto and I miss my Moroccan bread. I lived in Rabat then Fez for a number of years. Is there anyway I can use Almond flour? I know it may be a stretch, maybe more flour with xantham gum like I do with other bread recipes? Thanks!
Christine Benlafquih
Friday 30th of September 2022
I haven't tried making a gluten-free yeast bread with almond flour. If gluten isn't an issue and you're just looking for a keto Moroccan bread, then perhaps take a look at this Keto Almond Yeast Bread recipe. It looks like the dough might hold its shape well enough to make round khobz, but again, it's not gluten free.
Lisa
Saturday 27th of March 2021
Delicious! I made this with Doves Farm GF bread flour (available in most of the UK supermarkets). And it worked a great! First time I’ve had bread dough actually rose double too! I do wish I’d made twice as much though as it’s very yummy!
Christine Benlafquih
Sunday 28th of March 2021
I'm so pleased that you had great results! Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe and share which brand of gluten-free flour you used. I'm not familiar with Doves Farm but I'll definitely keep an eye out for it.
Cecile
Saturday 27th of February 2021
Do you need to add xanthan gum if that's not in the gluten free flour mix? Your link of gluten free flour goes to Bob's Red Mill all purpose baking flour, but that does not contain xanthan or guar gum.
Cecile
Thursday 4th of March 2021
@Christine Benlafquih, Thanks!
Christine Benlafquih
Saturday 27th of February 2021
Hi Cecile. I don't add xanthan gum when using Schar Mix B, but Bob's Red Mill does suggest adding 1 to 1.5 tsp of xantham gum per cup of their gluten-free all-purpose baking flour when making bread. If you do decide to use Bob's Red Mill, be sure you're getting their gf all-purpose flour as the product description for the 1-to-1 gf flour specifically says it's not recommended for yeast recipes.
julia macias
Wednesday 26th of February 2020
This looks delicious!! Can you tell me which gf flour mix you used? They all work so differently and it would be great to not have to experiment:-) Thanks so much
Christine Benlafquih
Wednesday 26th of February 2020
For the bread as it appears in the photo, I used Schär Mix B. However, it may not be available in your location. If you're in the US, you might want to try Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur gluten free bread flours. I updated the recipe intro text to include that recommendation.
Meriame
Monday 24th of February 2020
Can I use Bob's red mill 1 for 1 cup? It looks so delicious
Christine Benlafquih
Monday 24th of February 2020
Hi Meriame. I think Bob's Red Mill all-purpose gluten free flour would work better, but as with any bread recipe you'll want to adjust flour or liquid as necessary to get the correct texture to the dough. Different grains/flours absorb different amounts of liquid. Aside from that, what's most important is to be sure that the gluten free flour you're using is well-suited for bread recipes as opposed to only cakes or cookies, and that your yeast is fresh and active. Good luck!