Msemmen, the deliciously flaky Moroccan flatbread

While maybe not the most intricate in the world, Moroccan breakfast is a delicious treat, especially if you enjoy bread. Bread is a cornerstone of the Moroccan diet and it is eaten with every meal, breakfast included. 

There are numerous types of leavened bread, and you will be hard pressed to find a Moroccan breakfast table without several loaves of Khobz, the round, flat white bread that is eaten every day and can be found at every corner.

If you, like us, feel like there can always be more dough in your breakfast, worry not, Moroccans agree. That is why, besides the freshly baked bread, their breakfast will most likely include beghrir, the semolina pancake that is cooked only on one side and has hundreds of bubbles forming on the top side because of the yeast in the batter; and msemmen, the pan fried, layered flatbread made by thinly stretching and layering the dough.
We decided to tackle this delicious flaky flatbread, and while it does require some time and patience, the end result is more than rewarding. You can find the msemmen recipe below.

Msemmen recipe

Ingredients

350g T55 flour

100g Semolina flour

2 tsp Sugar

2 tsp Salt

350g Warm water

To fold the bread:

200g Sunflower oil

100g Softened butter

Method

1. Combine all the dry ingredients for the dough in a large bowl.
2. Add the water and mix until a dough starts to form. The dough should be soft and easy to knead, but not sticky.
3. Knead the dough by hand for around 10 minutes (or 5 minutes in the mixer with a dough hook), until smooth and elastic. Let the dough rest for around 20 minutes, otherwise it will be hard to stretch.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together the butter and oil until an emulsion forms. Use this generously as you fold the flatbreads.
5. Oil your hands and separate the dough into 12 equal balls.
6. Take the first ball, and working on a greased surface stretch it out as thin as possible.
   
7. Rub some of the butter mixture on top and fold the dough in thirds.
   
8. Rub more butter mixture, and fold again so you have a small square package. Continue until you fold all of the balls.
   
9. Flatten the square until very thin. The layers of dough should remain mostly separate.
   
10. Fry in a hot pan on medium heat until golden and crunchy, turning over once.
    
11. The end result should be a buttery and flaky pancake, that is slightly crunchy on the outside.
    

Enjoy with butter, honey (or the mixture of both), a variety of jams, olive oil and olives, and fresh goat cheese. And of course, Moroccan mint tea, another item that is omnipresent in Morocco and that no breakfast is complete without.