Muufo (Corn Flatbread)
Fluffy and slightly sweet on the inside, with crunchy outer pockets, this cornmeal flatbread needs time to rise but cooks up quickly in a skillet. In Somalia, muufo is normally baked using a traditional tinaar (tandoor) clay oven. For many that are a part of the Somali diaspora, the cooking method has adapted from using a tinaar to pan-frying muufo or making it on a grill. Muufo’s texture is best when it's consumed right after it's freshly made, as it stiffens over time. If consuming on a different day, freeze the dough and pan fry when you’re ready to eat it. Pair muufo with chicken suqaar or suqaar hilib, or vegan fuul or cagaar. Muufo’s pillowy interior is great for soaking up all the delicious juices and flavors from any of these dishes.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 1 ¾cups/219 grams all-purpose flour
- ½cup/67 grams pre-cooked white cornmeal (such as P.A.N.)
- 2tablespoons cane or granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon active dry yeast
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Step 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, yeast and salt. Add 1½ cups warm water and knead directly in the bowl with your hands until a sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until it doubles in size and has tiny air pockets.Step 2
Heat up 1 teaspoon of oil over medium-high in a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet. Set a small bowl of water handy for wetting your fingers as needed. Once the pan is warm, wet your fingers with the water, and pinch off about a quarter of the dough, pat it flat and place it in the skillet. Start spreading the dough outward with your fingers until you have a round shape that fills a majority of your skillet and the dough is approximately 6 to 7 inches round and 1/3 inch thick. Cover and cook, adjusting heat as needed, until there’s enough steam on your lid to make the pan start sizzling and the bottom of the muufo is crisped and browned in spots, about 2 minutes.Step 3
Take off the lid, drizzle or brush 1/2 teaspoon oil over the muufo, and flip it. Cook, uncovered, until the second side is done and the muufo is no longer doughy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the muufo to a plate and repeat the process until all of your muufo is done. Muufo is best consumed while still warm.