Msemen

Method

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1. Mix the semolina, flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Add the warm water gradually and knead 12 minutes to a very soft, smooth, slightly sticky dough.

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2. Oil your hands and divide into 8 balls. Set them on an oiled tray, coat each in oil, cover, and rest 30 minutes.

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3. Mix the melted butter into the bowl of oil.

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4. Oil a large smooth worktop generously — never flour it.

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5. Take one ball and flatten it, then push it outward from the centre with oiled palms until it is a thin, almost transparent sheet about 40 cm across. Small holes are fine.

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6. Brush the whole sheet with the oil and butter mixture and dust generously with dry semolina.

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7. Fold the left and right thirds into the middle to make a long strip, brush and dust again, then fold the top and bottom in to make a square.

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8. Set aside and repeat with the rest, then rest the squares 15 minutes.

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9. Flatten each square gently to about 15 cm with oiled hands and fry in a dry, hot heavy pan for 3 minutes a side, pressing lightly, until golden and blistered with visible layers.

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10. Serve hot with honey and butter.

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Chef’s Tips

• Oil the surface, never flour it. Flour stops the dough stretching.
• Dry semolina between the layers is what keeps them separate.
• A dry pan, not an oily one — the dough already carries all the fat it needs.

Pairing Suggestions

• Honey and butter
• Amlou almond spread
• Mint tea

Storage & Reheating

Best hot. Freeze between sheets of paper for 2 months and reheat in a dry pan.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.