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Fire-Grilled Batbout

Soft Moroccan flatbreads cooked fast over a hot grill and finished with smoke.

Small fire-grilled batbout flatbreads with puffed centres and smoky char.

A high-volume batbout formula for service. The dough stays soft, the breads are portioned and flattened before the rush, and the grill is run in two heat zones so each piece puffs, colours and finishes without drying out.

Approximately 88 to 92 small flatbreads at 60 g each, enough for about 50 guests

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Ingredients

Batch

Dough

  • Flour3 kg
  • Fine salt60 g
  • Sugar30 g
  • Dry yeast25 g
  • Warm water2.1 L to 2.3 L
  • Olive oil100 ml

Method

Dough

  1. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast.

  2. Add the warm water gradually and mix to a soft dough.

  3. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then add the olive oil and knead for another 2 minutes.

  4. Cover and rest for about 45 minutes. Do not overproof.

Prepare for service

  1. Divide the dough into 60 g balls. Lightly oil them and keep them covered at all times.

  2. Flatten each ball to an 8 to 10 cm disc, dusting very lightly with flour or semolina.

  3. Keep the discs covered between parchment or on trays until cooking.

Grill

  1. Set a medium-high zone for the initial puff and colour and a medium to low zone for finishing. On a flat top, hold a consistent medium heat.

  2. Cook the first side for 1 to 2 minutes, until the bread puffs and takes char spots. Turn once and cook the second side for another 1 to 2 minutes.

  3. Move breads to the cooler zone if they colour faster than they cook. Total cooking time is about 3 minutes per bread.

  4. For a little more smoke before service, kiss a few breads directly over the flame and mix them through the batch.

Chef’s notes

  • The source said 90 to 100 breads at 60 to 70 g each, but the dough formula weighs about 5.3 to 5.5 kg. Standardising at 60 g gives the stated high-volume yield honestly; 70 g pieces would produce materially fewer breads.
  • Keep the dough covered. A dry skin is the fastest way to lose the puff.

The finish

  1. Serve whole or torn in half, warm, in cloth-lined baskets or on wooden boards.
  2. If using a finish, brush lightly rather than soaking the bread. Garlic-harissa butter, smoked paprika oil or a simple herb oil all suit the fire-grilled bread.

Keeping

Best served on the day it is cooked. Cool completely before bagging. Freeze any surplus promptly and reheat directly from thawed in a hot pan or oven.

Allergens and diet

Gluten.

Last refined · September 2026