Algerian Bouzgene Berber Bread with Roasted Pepper Sauce

Name: Algerian Bouzgene Berber Bread with Roasted Pepper Sauce
Prep time: 11 min
Cook time: 19 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Algerian
Ingredients: 2 Red Pepper; 4 Tomato; 1 tablespoon Olive Oil; 4 Cloves Chopped Garlic; 1 chopped Jalapeno; To taste Salt; 2 Lbs Semolina; 1 1/2 tsp Salt; 3 Cups Water; 4 tablespoons Olive Oil; 6 tablespoons Olive Oil

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Side recipe with Algerian flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 48 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 30 min total

2 Red Pepper
4 Tomato
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
1 chopped Jalapeno
To taste Salt
2 Lbs Semolina
1 1/2 tsp Salt
3 Cups Water
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
6 tablespoons Olive Oil

Step-by-step instructions

Preheat your oven's broiler. Place red bell peppers and tomatoes on a baking sheet, and roast under the broiler for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally. This should blacken the skin and help it peel off more easily. Cool, then scrape the skins off of the tomatoes and peppers, and place them in a large bowl. Remove cores and seeds from the bell peppers.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the jalapenos and garlic, and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and transfer the garlic and jalapeno to the bowl with the tomatoes and red peppers. Using two sharp steak knives (one in each hand), cut up the tomatoes and peppers to a coarse and soupy consistency. Stir, and set sauce aside.
Place the semolina in a large bowl, and stir in salt and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Gradually add water while mixing and squeezing with your hand until the dough holds together without being sticky or dry, and molds easily with the hand. Divide into 6 pieces and form into balls.
For each round, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Roll out dough one round at a time, to no thicker than 1/4 inch. Fry in the hot skillet until dark brown spots appear on the surface, and they are crispy. Remove from the skillet, and wrap in a clean towel while preparing the remaining flat breads.
To eat the bread and sauce, break off pieces of the bread, and scoop them into the sauce. It will slide off, but just keep reaching in!

Why this works on a weeknight

Algerian Bouzgene Berber Bread with Roasted Pepper Sauce genuinely fits a 30-minute weeknight window, which is why it earned a spot in our Skillet & One-Pan collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Algerian Bouzgene Berber Bread with Roasted Pepper Sauce actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥘 Skillet & One-Pan Side Algerian ⚡ 30-Min Dinner