Maqmoura

Make the dough: mix 500 g wheat flour, 100 g whole wheat flour, 30 g sesame seeds, 20 g nigella seeds, 1 tsp salt and 60 ml olive oil. Gradually pour in 250 ml warm water and knead into a soft, non-sticky dough. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8–10 equal balls. Brush each ball with olive oil and stretch or roll it out into a very thin round.

For the filling, cut 1 kg onions into half-rings. Heat 120 ml olive oil in a deep skillet, add the onions and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden.

Add 800 g chicken pieces to the onions, along with 2 tbsp sumac, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp salt. Stir and cook for 10–12 minutes, until the chicken turns white and is almost cooked through but not dried out.

Generously grease a deep round baking dish or ovenproof pot with olive oil. Lay the first thin sheet of dough so its edges hang over the sides, brush it with olive oil, then spread part of the chicken-onion filling on top.

Cover the filling with the next sheet of dough, brush with olive oil, and continue layering dough and filling until the filling is used up; finish with a sheet of dough. Fold the overhanging edges inward, brush the top with the remaining olive oil, and prick it a few times with a knife.

Cover the dish with foil and bake at 160°C for about 3 hours, until the dough is cooked through and the top is golden and crisp.

Let the maqmoura rest for 10 minutes, carefully flip it onto a large plate, cut into slices and serve hot.