Baghrir

Baghrir (Moroccan Thousand-Hole Pancakes)

A spongy, one-sided semolina pancake famous across the Maghreb, showered with warm honey butter. The hallmark honeycomb of holes forms as tiny bubbles burst on the only-cooked side.

Prep

15 min

Cook

30 min

Total

45 min

Serves

6 (makes about 18 pancakes)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz (about 1½ cups)) fine semolina, not coarse Moroccan smen semolina if you can help it; fine durum semolina gives the best honeycomb
• •100 g (¾ cup) all-purpose flour
• •10 g (1 tbsp) instant yeast, or 20 g fresh baker's yeast dissolved in the warm water
• •5 g (1 tsp) baking powder
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt
• •750 ml (3 cups + 3 tbsp) lukewarm water, around 38°C / 100°F; too hot kills the yeast
• •200 g (⅔ cup) honey, orange-blossom honey is traditional if available
• •50 g (3½ tbsp) unsalted butter, for finishing

Steps

1. 1 Whisk the semolina, flour, yeast, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the lukewarm water and blend with an immersion (stick) blender for 2-3 minutes until the batter is completely smooth, pourable, and the consistency of thin pancake batter. It should coat the back of a spoon only very lightly. Cover loosely and rest at room temperature for 45-60 minutes; the batter will foam and lighten as the yeast activates.
2. 2 After resting, give the batter a brief whisk (do not re-blend; you want to keep the small air bubbles). It should still be very fluid. Loosen with 1-2 tablespoons of water if it has thickened.
3. 3 Heat a flat non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium-low heat. Do not grease. Test the temperature: a drop of batter should sizzle gently and start forming holes within 30 seconds.
4. 4 Stir the batter gently (do not knock out the bubbles). Ladle about 60 ml / ¼ cup into the hot pan, starting from the centre and letting it spread on its own - do not tilt the pan the way you would for crepes, as this disrupts the holes. Cook only on one side.
5. 5 Cook for 2-3 minutes until the entire surface is riddled with open holes and the pancake looks set and dry on top; the bottom should be pale gold. Do not flip. Lift off the pan onto a clean tea towel, cooked-side up so the holes stay open. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking pancakes on top of each other.
6. 6 While the last pancakes cook, gently warm the honey with the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until just melted and pourable; do not boil. Either drizzle over the warm pancakes or pour into the holes by spooning a little across the surface.
7. 7 Serve immediately, cut into wedges or torn, with extra warm honey butter on the side.