Warqa Pastry

Warqa Pastry

Paper-thin Moroccan dough made by dabbing a sticky batter onto a hot griddle in overlapping circles.

Total 2 hr Makes 20 sheets Calories 55/serving

Dietary

Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Dairy free, Nut free, Halal, Kosher

Allergens

Wheat

Warqa is the tissue-thin pastry behind pastilla and briouates, built by patting a slack dough against a warm inverted pan until a translucent sheet releases. It takes practice to feel the right tackiness, but the payoff is a brittle, flaky wrapper that store-bought phyllo can't quite replicate.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups water, lukewarm
  • 1/2 cup water, lukewarm, additional for kneading
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch, for dusting

Method

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour and salt.

  2. Add the 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water and the vegetable oil, and mix with your hand until a rough dough forms.

  3. Knead the dough in the bowl, slapping and folding it against itself, gradually wetting your hand with the extra 1/2 cup water as needed, for 15 to 20 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and very stretchy.

  4. Continue slapping and stretching the dough against the side of the bowl for another 10 minutes until it transforms into a loose, sticky, elastic batter that stretches into long strands without tearing.

  5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

  6. Set an inverted 9-inch nonstick skillet or special warqa griddle over medium-low heat and let it heat for 5 minutes until evenly warm but not smoking.

  7. Dip your fingertips into the batter and dab small overlapping dollops onto the hot inverted pan in a continuous circular motion, working from the outer edge inward to form a complete thin circle about 9 inches wide.

  8. Cook the sheet for 45 to 60 seconds until the edges lift and curl away from the pan and the surface looks dry and matte.

  9. Peel the sheet off the pan carefully by lifting from one edge, then lay it flat on a clean dish towel, dusting lightly with cornstarch if stacking additional sheets.

  10. Repeat the dabbing and cooking process with the remaining batter, stacking finished sheets between layers of cornstarch-dusted towels, until all the batter is used.

  11. Use the warqa sheets immediately, or wrap the stack tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Rate this recipe

★ 4.0 (1)

Warqa Pastry

Warqa is the tissue-thin pastry behind pastilla and briouates, built by patting a slack dough against a warm inverted pan until a translucent sheet releases. It takes practice to feel the right tackiness, but the payoff is a brittle, flaky wrapper that store-bought phyllo can't quite replicate.

2 hr 20 sheets 55 cal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups water, lukewarm
  • 1/2 cup water, lukewarm, additional for kneading
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch, for dusting

Method

  1. 1

    In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour and salt.

  2. 2

    Add the 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water and the vegetable oil, and mix with your hand until a rough dough forms.

  3. 3

    Knead the dough in the bowl, slapping and folding it against itself, gradually wetting your hand with the extra 1/2 cup water as needed, for 15 to 20 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and very stretchy.

  4. 4

    Continue slapping and stretching the dough against the side of the bowl for another 10 minutes until it transforms into a loose, sticky, elastic batter that stretches into long strands without tearing.

  5. 5

    Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

  6. 6

    Set an inverted 9-inch nonstick skillet or special warqa griddle over medium-low heat and let it heat for 5 minutes until evenly warm but not smoking.

  7. 7

    Dip your fingertips into the batter and dab small overlapping dollops onto the hot inverted pan in a continuous circular motion, working from the outer edge inward to form a complete thin circle about 9 inches wide.

  8. 8

    Cook the sheet for 45 to 60 seconds until the edges lift and curl away from the pan and the surface looks dry and matte.

  9. 9

    Peel the sheet off the pan carefully by lifting from one edge, then lay it flat on a clean dish towel, dusting lightly with cornstarch if stacking additional sheets.

  10. 10

    Repeat the dabbing and cooking process with the remaining batter, stacking finished sheets between layers of cornstarch-dusted towels, until all the batter is used.

  11. 11

    Use the warqa sheets immediately, or wrap the stack tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.