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These square, laminated Moroccan pancakes are called msemen or sometimes rghaif. They’re a popular breakfast and tea time treat not only in Morocco, but also Tunisia and Algeria. If you haven’t tried one, it’s time you do!
Although easily bought at bakeries or as a street food, many Moroccans prefer to make msemen at home. That way the texture, flavor, size and quality can all be controlled.
Serve them plain—I like them this way hot off the griddle—or spread with butter, honey, jam or cheese. The most traditional way, however, is to dip msemen in hot syrup made from butter and honey. A bit messy to eat, but sticky sweet and delicious.
The elastic bread-like dough used to make msemen can be unleavened or barely leavened. For the latter, just a tiny bit of yeast is used. In recent years, I’ve seen some cooks replace the yeast with baking powder.
I prefer the barely leavened method, which is what my recipe below uses. It yields msemen with well-defined layers, a slightly crispy exterior and chewy interior. There is room to play in terms of changing ratios of flour or replacing some or all of the white flour with whole wheat, but if you’ve never made msemen before, I encourage you to try the recipe as is.
Don’t be alarmed by the quantity of oil and butter used in the process of shaping the msemen. All that oil won’t be absorbed into the dough. Done properly, msemen shouldn’t feel greasy or be any more indulgent than other rich treats such as croissants or donuts.
You’ll need ample work space to shape the dough into squares. A well-cleaned, clutter-free granite counter top, a large flat plastic or metal tray, or a large Moroccan gsaa will all do. Once, cooked, the msemen store beautifully in the freezer and are easy to reheat on short notice, so plan to make them ahead of time.
Once you master msemen, be sure to try making meloui, another type of Moroccan laminated crepe or pancake.
Moroccan Msemen Recipe - Square Laminated Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups white flour, - all purpose or bread
- 1/2 cup fine semolina or durum flour
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp dry yeast - (less in very warm weather)
- 1 1/2 cups warm water - (not hot)
For Folding the Msemen
- 1 cup vegetable oil - (more if needed)
- 1/2 cup fine semolina - (can use coarser caliber if you like)
- 1/4 cup very soft unsalted butter - (more if needed)
Instructions
Make the Msemen Dough
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the water and combine to make a dough.
- Knead the dough by hand (or with a mixer and dough hook) until very smooth, soft and elastic but not sticky. Adjust water or flour as necessary to achieve that texture.
- Divide the dough into balls the size of small plums. Be sure the top and sides of the balls are smooth. Transfer the balls of dough on an oiled tray, cover loosely with plastic and leave to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, set up a work area. You'll need a large flat surface for spreading and folding the dough. Set out bowls of vegetable oil, semolina and very soft butter. Set your griddle or large frying pan on the stove, ready to heat up.
Shape the Msemen
- Generously oil your work surface and your hands. Dip a ball of dough in the oil and place it in the center of your work space. Using a light touch and quick sweeping motion from the center outward, gently spread the dough into a paper-thin, roughly shaped circle. Oil your hands as often as needed so that they slide easily over the dough.
- Dot the flattened dough with butter and sprinkle with semolina. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter to form an elongated rectangle. Dot again with butter, sprinkle with semolina, and fold again into thirds to form a square.
- Transfer the folded dough to the oiled tray and repeat with the remaining balls of dough. Keep track of the order in which you folded the squares.
Cooking the Msemen
- Heat your griddle or frying pan over medium heat until quite hot. Starting with the first msemen you folded, take a square of dough and place on your oiled work surface. Oil your hands and pat the dough firmly to flatten it to double its original size.
- Transfer the flattened square to the hot griddle and cook, turning several times, until cooked through, crispy on the exterior and golden in color. Transfer to a rack.
- Repeat with the remaining squares, working with them in the order in which they were folded. You can flatten and cook several at a time if your pan or griddle can accommodate them.
- When each msemen has cooled for a minute or two, pick it up from opposite ends and gently flex it for a few seconds with a quick back and forth, see-saw motion. This helps separate the laminated layers from each other.
- Serve the msemen immediately, or allow to cool completely before freezing.
Reheating and Serving Msemen
- Msemen can be reheated directly from the freezer in a frying pan placed over medium-low heat, or directly on the rack in a preheated 350° F (180° C) oven.
- To make the traditional Moroccan syrup for dipping, heat equal portions of unsalted butter and honey in a frying pan. When hot and just beginning to bubble, turn off the heat. Dip the warm msemen into the syrup to coat the pancake on both sides.
Notes
- You can make msemen as small or as large as you like. I prefer to keep them small as described here.
- If you don't have a double griddle, use two or three frying pans on different burners for more efficient cooking.
- Instead of all vegetable oil, you can use a mix of oil and melted butter.
- Some of the white flour can be replaced by whole wheat flour. Adds nice flavor, but the final product might not be as crispy.
- You can also use a mix of half white flour and half semolina. It yields msemen with coarser texture. It's my preferred mix when making meloui, a round, coiled cousin of msemen.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate obtained from online calculators. Optional ingredients may not be included in the nutritional information.
About the Author
Christine Benlafquih is Founding Editor at Taste of Maroc and owner of Taste of Casablanca, a food tour and culinary activity business in Casablanca. A long time resident of Morocco, she's written extensively about Moroccan cuisine and culture. She was the Moroccan Food Expert for The Spruce Eats (formerly About.com) from 2008 to 2016.
Andreea
Thursday 28th of December 2023
Tried step by step your recipe and after frying the middle had no layers. Why
Christine Benlafquih
Friday 29th of December 2023
I'm not sure why your msemen didn't have layers. There are a few things that could affect your outcome...if you didn't laminate properly by not using enough butter and semolina while folding; if your pan's heat was too high, which could make the msemen color too quickly but leave the middle uncooked. The flour you used could also affect the final texture of your msemen. Lastly, step 4 in the instructions for cooking the msemen is very helpful in yielding visible layers: "When each msemen has cooled for a minute or two, pick it up from opposite ends and gently flex it for a few seconds with a quick back and forth, see-saw motion. This helps separate the laminated layers from each other."
Becki
Thursday 16th of November 2023
Hi there - I have loved eating msemen when in Morocco - especially the savoury slightly spicy ones_ delicious! I Just wondered if there is an alternative to vegetable/ seed oil as more and more I hear about oils says refined and heavily processed oils are bad. Would olive oil work or would the flavour of the oil ruin the taste? Many thanks.
Christine Benlafquih
Thursday 16th of November 2023
Yes, you can use light or regular olive oil, but you might want to steer away from extra virgin olive oil because of its stronger flavor. I've used olive oil myself when making whole wheat msemen and savory msemen and found the flavor complementary.
Vivienne
Monday 10th of July 2023
Love this recipe, thanks so much! It worked so well and is the most similar I’ve found to the msemen we have eaten in Morocco. Quick question - if you want to store some only overnight for the next morning’s breakfast, what is the best way to store them? Should they go in the fridge or would they be ok wrapped in a cloth stored like other breads? Thanks so much
Christine Benlafquih
Tuesday 11th of July 2023
Once cooled, you can wrap the msemen with foil, plastic wrap, or store in an airtight container or food storage bag. They'll be fine like this overnight at room temperature, but you'll still want to reheat them quickly on the stove or in the oven before serving. Some people use a toaster for reheating, but I personally haven't done this because I think the oil in the msemen will coat the toaster rack and grill.
Rosie
Saturday 10th of June 2023
I've been told that you can also make these with a spiced onion filling. Do you have a recipe for that version too?
Christine Benlafquih
Tuesday 11th of July 2023
I do have a recipe for that, and will try to publish it soon.
Daphne
Friday 23rd of September 2022
Hello can these be made with almond flour and do you have a video showing how you made them? Thank you!
Christine Benlafquih
Friday 23rd of September 2022
I agree that a video would be helpful; I'll be making msemen soon and will try to remember to record a video. And, I don't think almond flour would work well for msemen unless you're just looking to use it as a substitute for the small quantity of semolina or durum flour. If your objective is to make gluten-free msemen, I recommend trying a gluten-free flour mix that's intended for breadmaking. You might need to add a little xanthan gum and increase the resting period to get the desired stretch to the dough.