By Nargisse Benkabbou
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(244)
- Notes
- Read community notes
The Moroccan pan-fried flatbread known as msem*n is usually eaten for breakfast and teatime. The process of flattening and rolling the dough might seem intimidating, but these layered breads are actually not complicated or very time-consuming to make. Serve them warm or at room temperature with anything you fancy. To enjoy them sweet, eat with melted butter and honey, or go the savory route with ricotta and olive oil.
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Ingredients
Yield:9 msem*n
- 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
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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 msem*n: 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 msem*n 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 msem*n 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 msem*n 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 msem*n. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Ratings
4
out of 5
244
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Cooking Notes
Mayank
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.
Vaishali
We regularly make a similar item in India- chappati. And we use whole wheat flour for that. Semolina is also available in Indian stores.
Jeannie
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.
S
All Indian stores carry semolina flour. Ask for Rava or Sooji (and ensure you get the wheat product rather than the rice product). Although generally not considered interchangeable with semolina flour, maybe you could use cream of wheat at a pinch. It strikes me that this msem*n is almost identical to Indian maida (AP flour) parathas. Most often parathas, rotis, and other desi flatbreads are made with whole wheat flour (atta) but maida versions are also well known.
Sue
If your store has a Bob’s Red Mill section, look there for semolina.
Kat
Delicious! When I lived in Morocco you could buy these from street vendors and they were most often served with Laughing Cow cheese and jam. Making these brought back many great memories!
B
I’ve cooked Indian food for years, but always bought the chappatis or naan or parathas. And I’m a 30-year veteran bread baker. So I thought I could get these on first try. The first batch came out more crisp than I wanted, and the hard-earned layers seemed lost. Then I lowered the heat and gave more time for inner layers to poof up as well as the outside ones. Of course, husband gobbled them up anyway.
petey tonei
Indians (from India ie) make all kinds of plain, stuffed, sweet, savoury flat breads. So do Mexicans.They just call them different names and use different flours or flour mixtures.
rdl
kingarthurbaking.com
Rodger Madison
Try any local place that specializes in Italian food (semolina is the base for pasta). Many of the larger grocer chains carry it. And of course, ..., there's always Amazon.
Gianine
This could use a video assist
Erin
any tips for freezing these?
E
Do the folded parts of the initial dough ball stay up, or are they flipped over when transferred?
Goldi
Ahhh! My mom’s square parathas! Sometimes she would make triangles too!
B
I’ve cooked Indian food for years, but always bought the chappatis or naan or parathas. And I’m a 30-year veteran bread baker. So I thought I could get these on first try. The first batch came out more crisp than I wanted, and the hard-earned layers seemed lost. Then I lowered the heat and gave more time for inner layers to poof up as well as the outside ones. Of course, husband gobbled them up anyway.
Dan
I needed over 1c water to make a kneadable dough. It's winter and dry, but most will probably need more than 1/2c
Rsp
If you don't/won't use Amazon (I won't)you can get semolina directly from Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur flour.
Ann
@ KatExactly!!And now I can have them anytime I want!
Dado
Can unused dough be stored and, if so, how?
LDE
This immediately reminded me of roomali (and yes, chapati too) but I always found the 'handkerchief' to be light and airy...love it
petey tonei
Indians (from India ie) make all kinds of plain, stuffed, sweet, savoury flat breads. So do Mexicans.They just call them different names and use different flours or flour mixtures.
Sally Ann (USA)
I didn't have any semolina on hand so I substituted 00 pizza flour. They came out lovely. I'm glad the recipe makes 9 so I could eat one while cooking the rest.
Kat
Delicious! When I lived in Morocco you could buy these from street vendors and they were most often served with Laughing Cow cheese and jam. Making these brought back many great memories!
Sue
If your store has a Bob’s Red Mill section, look there for semolina.
deana
I make them differently but love them -- with honey, harissa, olives and sometimes cheese. They are addictive ( I use a bit of whole wheat too).
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