Aghroum (Kesra)

Aghroum, also called kesra in certain regions, belongs to the most ancient heritage of Amazigh baking. Long before the modern oven arrived in Kabyle households, this bread was cooked on the tajine, a clay or metal plate placed directly over embers, in the courtyard or near the hearth. Its preparation was part of a domestic knowledge passed down from mother to daughter, gesture after gesture, without written measurements or fixed recipes. Each woman judged the consistency of the dough by hand and the cooking by eye, according to the day's humidity and the fire's heat. This modest bread accompanied the daily peasant life of mountain villages, where wheat and semolina formed the mainstay of subsistence.

• 500 g medium durum wheat semolina
• 200 g soft wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon baker's yeast (depending on household)
• approximately 300 ml lukewarm water
• a little fine semolina for shaping

1. Mix the semolina, flour, and salt in a large earthenware or wooden bowl.
2. Gradually incorporate the lukewarm water, kneading thoroughly by hand until obtaining a smooth and homogeneous dough.
3. Let the dough rest under a thick cloth near a gentle heat source, allowing it to rise slightly.
4. Shape one or more thick discs, gently pressing the edges with your fingertips.
5. Lightly prick the top with your fingers or a wooden skewer to create the traditional pattern.
6. Heat the clay plate (tajine) placed over embers or low heat.
7. Place the disc on the plate and cook covered, turning regularly, until the crust browns and sounds hollow when tapped with your fingers.

Aghroum offers a dense and slightly tender crumb, contrasting with a firm and rustic crust, marked by cooking in direct contact with the hot clay. Its taste remains simple, that of wheat and salt, sometimes enhanced with a smoky note inherited from the wood fire. It is broken rather than cut, a gesture that naturally accompanies every shared meal.