MOROCCAN LAYERED BREAD Msemen Easy and Quick Recipe
Msemen are typical of Moroccan cuisine: layered crêpes, similar to flatbreads, excellent plain or stuffed.
I tasted this layered Arab bread for the first time in Marrakech, at breakfast in the Riad where I was staying, and it immediately won me over: one of the best recipes in Morocco.
As I usually do when I like something, one day I asked to learn how to prepare it and luckily they obliged.
The cook at the Riad, who prepared this fresh Moroccan flatbread every day, was very kind and revealed her secrets to me. Of course, like any traditional recipe, almost every family makes small variations to the original recipe: some use only water and flour with a pinch of salt, others yeast, and still others a bit of instant yeast, some season with only oil, others add butter.
However, the method is the same for everyone, and it is what characterizes the final result of this Moroccan layered bread.
Prepare the dough simply and quickly: work quickly, by hand or with a mixer, semolina flour, water, and salt, until you form a dough ball. After a short rest, divide it into small parts, roll them out with plenty of olive oil and turn them into very thin sheets, which you fold into square pastries. After another ten minutes, cook the layered flatbreads in a pan until golden.
You will get a crispy and very soft bread that you can tear with your hands and dip in bowls of colorful sauces, from classic chickpea hummus to spicy Maghreb harissa sauce, or whatever you prefer. Or, given its neutral taste, serve it as an appetizing starter or an original dessert, garnished with sweet chocolate creams and nuts.
Find out how to prepare msemen by following the original Moroccan recipe step by step
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 238.93 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 42.15 (g) of which sugars 0.03 (g)
- Proteins 8.05 (g)
- Fat 5.72 (g) of which saturated 1.85 (g)of which unsaturated 3.40 (g)
- Fibers 0.01 (g)
- Sodium 183.45 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 70 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups remilled durum wheat semolina flour (or 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup semolina)
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup water (depending on the semolina, it may vary from 1/2 to 2/3 cup)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast for savory preparations (optional)
- butter (melted)
- vegetable oil
- remilled durum wheat semolina
Tools
- Mixer
- Pan
How to prepare msemen
You can prepare Moroccan layered bread either with a mixer (planetary) or by hand in a bowl.
Pour the two flours into a bowl (or the mixer bowl) and mix them with a fork, then add the yeast and salt, start at low speed and begin adding the lukewarm water a little at a time. Work the mixture until you have a soft but not sticky dough. Cover with a cloth and let rest in the bowl for 10 minutes.
Take the dough back and work it on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Form a ball, then divide it to make 8 balls. Lightly oil them on the surface, place them on a tray, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for at least 30 minutes. You can also prepare them in advance in the afternoon for the evening or the morning for the afternoon.
Take a ball, place it on a work surface, oil your hands, and start stretching it (with your hands) until you get a square about 6×6 inches per side. Sprinkle the surface with a few drops of butter, spreading it well, and a bit of semolina, then fold the edges into thirds, first from one side, then from the other, forming a package. Set it aside and proceed the same way with all the dough balls.
Once you have prepared the last sheet, take the first one you made, which will have rested in the meantime, and you will see that it has retracted a bit and lost elasticity. Again with oiled hands, stretch it back to a square, again 6×6 inches. Do the same with the others.
Heat a pan, preferably with a heavy bottom, and cook the Moroccan layered flatbread, turning it often. It will be ready when it puffs up; it will take about two or three minutes per side. Once cooked, place the msemen on a serving plate and enjoy as an accompaniment to sweet or savory recipes.
STORAGE
The msemen can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days, well covered with plastic wrap. I recommend consuming them after reheating them in a pan or microwave for a few minutes.
How to prepare msemen with the Bimby
The preparation of msemen with the Bimby concerns only the dough.
1 Pour the water and salt into the mixer bowl and the flour above. If you want to get a thicker and higher flatbread, also add the yeast. Knead for 3 min. at speed 4.
2 Then retrieve the dough and proceed as per the recipe, forming balls, oiling them, and letting them rest for half an hour under a clean tea towel.
3 Roll them out one by one on a smooth and well-oiled surface. Then fold them by making three folds first with the side edges, then with the top and bottom edges. Let them rest for another 20 minutes.
4 At this point, cook the msemen in a non-stick pan for a couple of minutes per side.
VARIATIONS MOROCCAN FLATBREAD
Meat-filled msemen
As mentioned, the most common way to consume msemen is with butter and honey. However, there are also stuffed versions. The most famous is made by cooking minced meat with chopped onion and spices in a pan. Once ready and cooled, it is placed in the center of the raw Moroccan flatbread just rolled out before proceeding with the folds. The cooking remains unchanged.
Vegetarian msemen
To make vegetarian msemen, you can cook vegetables to your liking (I recommend bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and eggplants) cut into julienne strips with oil and spices. Once tender and cold, season with salt, and use the mixture as a filling. They are truly excellent!
