Msemen (Moroccan Square Pan-Fried Flatbread)

I picked up msemen from a Moroccan neighbor two houses down who used to trade me flatbreads for my broa de milho (recipe on the site), which might be the single best food arrangement I have ever had with a neighbor. She taught me the folding technique standing at her counter, hands moving faster than I could follow, turning a simple dough into a square, many-layered flatbread that fries up crisp outside and soft and flaky within, closer in spirit to a laminated pastry than a regular flatbread.

The layers come from a clever bit of dough handling rather than any laminating with butter sheets. You stretch the dough out thin, almost translucent, brush it with a mix of oil and semolina, then fold it into a square like an envelope before flattening it out again to pan-fry. It sounds fussy written down, but it is genuinely one of the more satisfying doughs I have worked with, and Sofia, my baking apprentice, has gotten better at the folding than I am at this point.

In Morocco these are a breakfast and teatime staple, served hot off the pan with honey, butter, or a bowl of harira (recipe on the site) alongside for dipping. We eat them the same way here on slow weekend mornings, and they reheat surprisingly well in a dry skillet if you have leftovers, which in my house is rare.

Msemen Recipe

Prep time: 40 minutes (plus 30 minutes resting) · Cook time: 20 minutes · Total: 1 hour 30 minutes · Servings: 8 flatbreads · Calories: ~210 per serving

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fine semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water, plus more as needed
• 1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Honey, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Gradually add the warm water, mixing and then kneading by hand until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough, about 8 minutes. Add a splash more water if it feels stiff.
2. Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Coat each ball generously in vegetable oil, place on an oiled tray, cover, and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, mix the semolina flour with 3 tablespoons of the melted butter and 2 tablespoons of the oil to make a thick paste.
4. Oil your work surface and hands well. Take one dough ball and stretch and pat it out with your fingers into a thin, roughly square sheet, as thin as you can get it without tearing.
5. Spread a thin layer of the semolina paste over the surface. Fold the left and right thirds in toward the center like a letter, then fold the top and bottom thirds in the same way, forming a smaller square packet.
6. Gently flatten the folded packet with your palm or a rolling pin into a roughly 6-inch square, being careful not to tear the layers.
7. Heat a dry, heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook each msemen for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and the layers are visibly flaky, brushing with a little more melted butter as it cooks.
8. Serve hot, torn open at the layers, with honey or butter for dipping.

Recipe Notes

• The dough should feel soft and pliable, not dry. If it resists stretching, let it rest another 10 minutes before trying again.
• Fine semolina flour is sold at most grocery stores near the pasta or international foods aisle, sometimes labeled as durum wheat semolina.
• These freeze well after cooking. Reheat straight from frozen in a dry skillet over low heat until warmed through and crisp again.
• If the dough tears while folding, just patch it back together and keep going. Minor tears will not show once it is cooked.