How-to guide
How to Get the Holes in Baghrir (Thousand-Hole Pancakes)
Baghrir — the 'thousand-hole' pancake — is judged entirely on its holes. A good one has a surface like a honeycomb, ready to drink up a butter-and-honey syrup; a bad one is a flat, closed pancake. The holes come from a thin, well-fermented, semolina-based batter cooked on one side only, and getting them right is about consistency and patience rather than skill. This guide focuses on the three things that make or break the holes.
About 25 minutes plus resting
Step by step
- 1
Blend a thin, smooth batter
Baghrir batter is made mainly with fine semolina, some flour, yeast, a little baking powder, salt and water, blended completely smooth and left loose — closer to pouring cream than pancake batter. Blitzing it in a blender helps the holes form evenly. If it's too thick, the surface seals over and no holes appear.
- 2
Let it ferment until foamy
Rest the batter somewhere warm until the surface is covered in bubbles and it smells faintly yeasty, usually 20-40 minutes. This fermentation is what generates the gas that pushes up through the pancake to make the holes. Under-rested batter gives a dense result.
- 3
Cook on a hot, dry pan — one side only
Pour or ladle the batter onto a hot, ungreased non-stick pan and do not flip it. As it cooks, bubbles rise and burst across the whole surface, leaving the holes; the top should go from wet to matte and set. Cooking one side only is essential to keeping the holes open.
- 4
Judge doneness by the surface
The baghrir is ready when the top is fully set and dry to the touch and the base is pale gold — no flipping, no browning the top. Lift it off and lay it flat, not stacked while hot, so the holes don't get squashed closed.
- 5
Serve with honey-butter
Warm together equal parts honey and butter and pour it over so it soaks into the holes. The whole point of the honeycomb surface is to hold this syrup, which is why the holes matter so much.
Common mistakes to avoid
- A batter that's too thick, which seals over and never forms holes.
- Not resting the batter long enough, so there's no fermentation to push up bubbles.
- Flipping the pancake, which closes the holes you just made.
- Stacking hot baghrir, which crushes the delicate holey surface.
Tips from the kitchen
- Blend the batter smooth in a blender for the most even holes.
- Use fine semolina (semoule fine), not coarse, for a tender crumb and clean holes.
- The first pancake is often a test — adjust the batter's thinness before the rest.
- Cool baghrir in a single layer, then stack once cool; they reheat well.
Questions
Why does my baghrir have no holes?
The two usual culprits are a batter that's too thick and a batter that hasn't fermented enough. Loosen it towards pouring-cream consistency and let it rest until the surface is bubbly before cooking one side only on a hot dry pan.
Do you flip baghrir?
No. Baghrir is cooked on one side only. Flipping it closes the holes that form as bubbles rise and burst through the surface — the top should simply set and go matte as it cooks.
What semolina should I use for baghrir?
Fine semolina (semoule fine) is traditional and gives the tender, holey texture. Coarse semolina makes a gritty, uneven pancake. A little plain flour is usually blended in alongside it.
Learn it hands-on in Marrakech
Reading is one thing; doing it beside a local host is another. Book a Marrakech cooking class, or explore the medina on a guided food tour.