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Msemen
Square, flaky Moroccan pancakes folded with oil and semolina and cooked on a griddle
Msemen are the square, layered flatbreads sold hot from griddles in every Moroccan medina at breakfast time and again for afternoon tea, when they are drizzled with honey or dipped in olive oil. The dough is stretched paper-thin on an oiled surface, sprinkled with fine semolina, folded into a square and cooked until crisp outside and flaky in the middle. This version uses oil throughout so it is vegan; many homes use butter or smen. Chef's tip: oil your hands and work surface generously; the dough should be stretched, not rolled, and it tears if it sticks.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
For folding
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 3 ½ oz fine semolina, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp instant yeast in a bowl. Add 1 cup warm water gradually, mixing with your hand, until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough.
3 minStep 2: Knead on the worktop for 8–10 minutes until very smooth and elastic; when you press it, it should spring back slowly.
9 minStep 3: Oil your hands and divide the dough into 8 balls the size of a small egg. Coat each in a little ½ cup vegetable oil, cover with cling film and rest for 15 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
15 minStep 4: Oil the worktop generously. Flatten a ball with oiled fingers, then push and stretch it outwards into a very thin round about 25 cm wide, so thin you can almost see the worktop through it. Small holes don't matter.
Step 5: Sprinkle the round with a pinch of 2 ⅛ oz fine semolina. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, then the sides in, to make a square of about 8 cm. Brush with oil and sprinkle with semolina. Repeat with all the balls.
Step 6: Heat a heavy frying pan or griddle over a medium heat. Take one square, press it out with oiled fingers to about 14 cm, and lay it in the pan.
2 minStep 7: Cook for 2 minutes per side, pressing with a spatula, until golden with crisp brown patches and you can see the layers puffing. Cooking on a high heat is the common mistake; the outside burns before the folded layers cook through.
4 minStep 8: Keep the cooked msemen warm wrapped in a tea towel. Serve with honey, olive oil, jam or soft cheese, alongside mint tea.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does msemen take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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