Mouwarka

Mouwarka is a yeast leavened sweet bread stuffed with almonds and walnuts. It is the shaping of this bread that caught my attention. The dough is rolled out really thin and the filling spread over it. Next a hole is made in the center and the dough rolled outward from the center to the edges. The result is a beautiful ring which is folded almost like a serpent and baked in a cast iron pan.


I accidentally bought red berry whole wheat flour instead of the white whole wheat flour so used that in this recipe. It added a brownish tinge to the dough.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
40 gm strong flour (I used whole wheat)
1 gm instant yeast
1 gm salt
6 tbsp. water

For the filling
20 gm almonds
20 gm walnuts
20 gm sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. orange blossom water or rose water (I used mint extract)

1 tbsp oil, divided

Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients and form dough. Knead well and keep aside covered for a couple of hours. Meanwhile prepare the filling. Grind the walnuts and almonds to a coarse powder and mix in the powdered sugar. Keep aside until needed.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Take the risen dough on a work surface and with the help of some flour roll it out into a large disc.


Transfer to a tea towel and continue to thin it out. Spread half the oil over the top.


Now place the filling in the center of the rolled dough.


Spread the filling out evenly leaving 3/4 of an inch all around.


Make a hole in the center and pull the dough up over the filling.


Continue rolling the dough outwards on all sides making the center wider as you go.


Continue until you reach the end and form a ring.


Seal the edges by pinching them in. Then shape the rings as shown below and place it in a cast iron pan. Apply the remaining oil over the top.


Bake for 10 minutes until the top is brown and mouwarka is crispy.


Transfer to a cooling rack until cool.


The crispy and not overtly sweet dessert is ready.

Comments

  1. i was hoping that you make a step by step for this and am so glad you did..this is indeed fascinating..loved it

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  2. That is an interesting way to roll the bread. Though you have the pictures, I am still trying to figure out how you managed to roll it outwards. I will have to do it practically to see how that works. Nice recipe and enjoying reading all the recipes you are doing for this bm.

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  3. What an interesting bread roll. Almond filling sounds delicious. Thanks to your step by step pics -- makes it very easy for anyone to recreate. Great job.

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  4. I was wondering how you got that shape and so nice to see the step by step pic. Like Usha, I too am wondering how to roll it from the centre! The bread looks so good!

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  5. Awesome job Varada, the pictures surely helps me appreciate the wonderful job you have done..though as Usha says I will have to probably try it myself to see if I can do it..:)

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  6. You know what I roll my Parathas this way...not always but sometimes...it is a simple process and surely everyone wilget the hang of it.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it is a very simple and easy process. It caught my eye because it is different.

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  7. wow - the step by step photos are so helpful

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  8. I thought I left a comment earlier but seems like I did not. Very impressive bread. Your pictorial post made it easier to understand the process.

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