Msemen (Moroccan Flatbreads)
Updated Sept. 9, 2021
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
- 1cup plus 3 tablespoons/150 grams all-purpose flour
- ¾cup plus 1 tablespoon/150 grams semolina flour, plus more for the dough
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5ounces/140 milliliters warm water (about ½ cup), plus more if needed
- 4tablespoons vegetable oil, such as sunflower or canola, plus more for greasing
- 2tablespoons/30 grams unsalted butter, melted
Nutritional analysis per serving (9 servings)
300 calories; 10 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 131 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make the dough: Place the flours, salt, warm water and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix and form a soft, smooth dough. If the mixture is too dry, gradually add a couple tablespoons of warm water. If it’s too sticky, gradually add teaspoons of semolina flour. Once your dough is soft and smooth, lightly dust a work surface with semolina flour and knead the dough for about 8 minutes, until supple and elastic.
- Step 2
Lightly grease a sheet pan with oil. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces and form each into a ball. Place the balls on the sheet pan and use your hands or a brush to lightly rub the balls with oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Step 3
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and melted butter. Generously oil your work surface and place a ball of dough on it. Flatten the ball lightly and spoon about ½ teaspoon butter mixture on top. Using your hands, flatten the dough as thin as you can to make an 8- to 10-inch circle and lightly sprinkle some semolina flour over the dough.
- Step 4
Fold the msemen: Fold one-third of the top and bottom of the dough towards the center as you would to fold a letter, then fold one-third of the dough from the left and right sides towards the center to make about a 2½ to 3½-inch square. Place the folded msemen on the oiled work surface and cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap. Repeat until you have folded all the dough balls, adding more oil to your work surface as necessary.
- Step 5
Lightly oil and heat a griddle or a nonstick pan over medium-high. Transfer a folded msemen to the work surface, spoon another ½ teaspoon of the butter mixture on top and flatten it using your hands to make a 6-inch square. Gently place the flattened msemen on the warm pan and cook, turning several times and adjusting the heat and adding more oil to the pan as necessary, until golden and starting to puff, 60 to 90 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cover with a clean towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining msemen. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Private Notes
Comments
Love it. A large population in India makes this without semolina and calls it Tava Paratha or Chapathi. Some folks add semolina to change it’s texture but, rest of it is very similar. It is usually an accompaniment to veggies / lentils soup for lunch/dinner. Some people, like my spouse, love to eat it with pickle at breakfast. There’s so much more common amongst us across the world yet everyone seems to be focused on magnifying the differences to create their own identity.
We regularly make a similar item in India- chappati. And we use whole wheat flour for that. Semolina is also available in Indian stores.
Many grocery stores carry it on their flour shelves. Antimo Caputo, the same producer of 00 pizza flour has a semolina flour. You can also order online.
Is semolina flour really necessary? What's wrong with good quality bread flour?
These are easier to make than the directions would make it seem. I made them as per the recipe and they are really good. The folding part is confusing the way it is described. But it’s really simple. You are just adding air to the dough and working it a little more. I just folded the edges to overlap the center a little bit and made a square. You’re going to smoosh it out again to make it thin, so don’t sweat it. Next time I may add a bit more salt. Definitely making these again.
This is a typical bread found in every country in the Maghreb (North Africa), just like couscous is.