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ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
Warqa (pronounced waar-ka) is a thin sheet of pastry that is used to make classic Moroccan pastries such as pastilla or briwat.
Warqa is the Moroccan version of phyllo dough. It is, however, more moisture resistant than phyllo, which gives it a crispier texture when cooked.
"Warqa," which means paper in Arabic, is a thin pastry made with two basic ingredients: flour and water. These two ingredients are worked together by hand, then set aside to rest for hours until the flour develops a glutenous texture. The dough is then stretched very thinly and cooked on a very hot skillet for less than 20 seconds before being peeled off the skillet by hand. Each layer is then generously coated with vegetable oil, before the next layer is placed on top.
When the warqa has cooled, it can be used in a similar fashion to phyllo dough or spring roll pastry. Once filled with sweet or savory fillings, it has to be fried or baked to achieve its golden and crunchy exterior.
While the concept of warqa seems straightforward, it is actually a very complicated process that requires many years of experience in order to master the artful and fast movements needed to make the warqa at an expert level.
Ingredients
For the dough
1kg (2 lbs) cake flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1L (4 1/4 cups) room temperature water
Note: The amount of water needed will vary depending on the quality of the flour and the overall humidity of the room where you are preparing the dough. Add the water slowly until you reach the desired consistency of the dough.
For brushing the warqa
Vegetable oil
Steps
Step 1: Preparing the dough
1- Start by sifting the flour into a large bowl.
2- Add the vegetable oil and salt.
3- Gradually add the water, and mix by hand to form the dough. At this point, the dough will be soft, sticky, and easy to break, do not be tempted to add more flour, the dough will become much more pliable after it rests.
4- Cover the bowl, and set the dough aside to rest for 15 minutes.
5- Uncover the bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water, then mix the dough a second time. At this point, the dough should no longer be sticky, and it should be able to stretch without breaking.
6- Cover the bowl again, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight, until ready to use.
Step 2: Cooking the pastilla sheets
1- Prepare your work station. You will need the prepared dough, a large bowl of water, a small bowl of vegetable oil, a pastry brush, and a large plate where you will place the pastilla sheets after they're cooked.
2- Turn on the stove-top to medium-low heat.
3- Place a pressure cooker or heavy pot upside down on the stove-top, and heat it up for a couple of minutes.
Note: Make sure the outside of the pot is clean and free of scratches.
4- Dip your hand in the bowl of water, then sprinkle the water on the back of the pot. When the pot is hot enough, the water will fly right off the pot the second it hits it. If the water settles in a little puddle, then the pot is not hot enough. Allow it a few more minutes to warm up, then test it again with the water.
5- Dip your hands again in the bowl of water, then grab a ball of dough the size of a tennis ball.
6- In quick movements, spread thin patches of dough over the back of the pot until the entire surface area is covered. Use your hands to patch any small empty spaces.
Note: This is a difficult technique to master, and takes a lot of practice.
7- Cook the dough for about 15 seconds, or until the edges of the pastilla sheets start to peel off the pot.
8- Gently peel the pastilla sheet off the pot, place it on the plate, then brush it with the vegetable oil.
9- Repeat steps 6 through 8 until you use up all the dough. Make sure to dip your hands in water every time you grab a new bowl of dough to make sure that the dough doesn't stick to your hands. Brush each cooked pastilla sheet with oil before placing the next sheet on top.
10- When all the pastilla sheets are cooked, remove them from the plate, then wrap them thoroughly in plastic wrap until ready to use.
Note: See instructions below for proper storage of the pastilla sheets.
00:00 INTRO
00:21 STEP 1 : Preparing the dough
02:18 STEP 2 : Cooking the warqa
02:22 OPTION 1 : The pressure cooker method
03:37 OPTION 2 : The copper dish method
04:57 STEP 3 : Storing the warqa
24 июл 2024
