Moroccan · Breakfast
Msemen (Moroccan Square Layered Pancakes)
Msemen is the flaky, square griddle bread you smell all over Marrakech at breakfast — dough stretched paper-thin on an oiled counter, smeared with butter and fine semolina, folded into a laminated square and fried flat until crisp-edged and tender inside. It is eaten hot with honey, amlou or a wedge of laughing-cow cheese, and a glass of mint tea.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 5
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 300 g fine bread flour
- 100 g fine durum semolina (plus extra for dusting), divided
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- About 200 ml warm water
- 60 g soft butter (or a mix of butter and oil), for smearing
- Neutral oil, for the counter and hands
- Honey and amlou, to serve
Method
- 1
Make a soft dough
Mix flour, 40 g of the semolina, salt and sugar. Add warm water gradually and knead 8–10 minutes to a very soft, smooth, slightly tacky dough. It should be softer than bread dough.
- 2
Rest as oiled balls
Divide into 8 balls, roll each in oil so they never dry out, and rest covered for 20 minutes. Resting relaxes the gluten so the dough will stretch thin without tearing.
- 3
Stretch thin
On a well-oiled counter, flatten a ball then push and stretch it outward with oiled palms until it is almost translucent — a rough circle you can nearly see through.
- 4
Smear and laminate
Dot with soft butter, sprinkle a little of the remaining semolina over the surface, then fold the sides into the middle to form a square, folding the second way too. The semolina keeps the layers separate.
- 5
Griddle flat
Flatten the square gently, then cook on a hot dry (or barely oiled) flat pan, pressing and flipping, 2–3 minutes a side until golden with crisp edges and visible flaky layers.
- 6
Serve hot
Eat immediately while the layers are still crisp, drizzled with honey or spread with amlou.
Chef's tips
- Keep the dough softer than you think is sensible — dry dough will not stretch thin and the layers turn dense.
- Oil, don't flour, the work surface; flour makes the dough grip and tear during the stretch.
- A little semolina (not just butter) between the layers is the secret to visible flakiness.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between msemen and meloui?
Same dough. Msemen is folded into a flat square and griddled flat; meloui is coiled into a spiral rope then flattened, giving a rounder, more layered pinwheel. Both are called rghaif.
Can I freeze msemen?
Yes. Griddle them lightly, cool, stack with baking paper between each and freeze. Reheat straight from frozen on a hot dry pan until crisp again.
Why did my msemen turn out doughy?
Usually the dough was too stiff to stretch thin, or the pan was not hot enough so it steamed rather than crisped. Use a soft dough, stretch until nearly translucent, and cook on medium-high.