Somali Corn Flatbread

In Somali, this corn flatbread is known as muufo tinaar or simply muufo. We believe the word muufo came from the Arabic word mofa موفا. Mofa and mifa ميفا are other names for the tanoor تنور or tandoor oven. It is our theory that the name mofa bread (bread baked in a mofa) was shortened to muufo. This theory is reinforced by the fact that in the northern part of Somalia, there is another bread that is named after an oven. The bread is called furun from the Arabic word فرن which means oven.

The Somali tinaar (tandoor oven) is made from clay and the heat is generated by a wood fire that is lit inside it. Once the tinaar becomes hot enough, the oven’s inside walls are wiped with a cloth cushion that has been lightly moistened. This removes any ashes on the walls and helps the bread stick to the wall. When the baker skips this step, some of the bread fall off the wall and get covered with ashes. That bread is not thrown away but the ashes are just brushed off. Sometimes the bread accidentally falls into the ashes when it is being pried off the walls. Baking bread in a tinaar is difficult work and not many can handle the heat.

The traditional Somali muufo is an unleavened bread. Since it has no yeast or other leavening agents, the bread does not rise during baking. The Bravanese (from Brava, Somalia) know this bread as mandaa ku dirsha (hurried bread) since it is baked right after the corn dough is brought from the mill. This is in contrast to the traditional maanda (Bravanese bread) known in Somali as muufo Baraawe. That bread is left to ferment and rises during baking.

We used white corn flour (not to be confused with cornstarch) to prepare the bread. The flour has a little texture and is not as fine as all-purpose flour. When we cannot find corn flour, we grind corn meal or corn grits and the resulting flour is also perfect for making muufo.

Some Somalis know muufo tinaar as garmash. The flatbread is served with stews and bananas but is often broken into small pieces, sprinkled with sugar, drizzled with ghee or untoasted sesame oil, then soaked with hot black tea.

Somali women baking Corn Flatbread (Muufo). Report by: Maxamed Muuse Nuur “Deeq Darajo” (Universal TV)

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