Msemen
Morocco's square breakfast flatbread: dough stretched paper-thin, layered with butter and semolina, folded and griddled until flaky, crisp and chewy. Serve with honey and mint tea.
Method
In a large bowl, mix the flour, dough semolina, salt, sugar and yeast, then add the lukewarm water a little at a time and bring it together into a dough. Knead on the worktop for , until soft as an earlobe, smooth and not sticky. If sticky, add flour 1 teaspoon at a time; if stiff, add water the same way.
Add in this stepPlain flour 150 gFine semolina (for the dough) 40 gSalt ½ tspSugar ½ tspInstant dry yeast (optional, for softer msemen) ¼ tspLukewarm water 120 ml
Divide the dough into 4 pc equal pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. Set them on an oiled tray, oil the tops, cover with cling film and rest for . Resting relaxes the gluten so the dough stretches thin without tearing.
Add in this stepVegetable oil (for hands, worktop and cooking) 0.9 tbsp
Oil the worktop and your hands generously. Press one ball flat with your palm and push it outwards in all directions until it is about 25 cm across and so thin you can almost see through it; small holes are fine. Dot with soft butter and sprinkle with a pinch of folding semolina. Fold the top and bottom thirds into the middle, then fold the sides in by thirds to make a square of about 8 cm. Repeat with the rest.
Add in this stepVegetable oil (for hands, worktop and cooking) 1¼ tbspButter, softened 20 gFine semolina (for folding) 20 g
Lay the squares seam-side down, cover with oiled cling film and rest for . Then press each one gently with oiled hands into an even square of about 12 cm.
Heat a 28 cm frying pan or griddle on medium heat. Cook the squares 2 at a time for in total, flipping every minute, until both sides have brown spots and the layers puff slightly and turn crisp. Add a little oil if the pan looks dry. Depending on how many you are serving, cook in 2 batches.
Add in this stepVegetable oil (for hands, worktop and cooking) 0.9 tbsp
medium heatWrap the cooked msemen in a clean tea towel to keep them warm and soft. Serve warm, drizzled with honey or with butter, alongside sweet mint tea.
Add in this stepHoney, to serve 2 tbsp
Cook's tip
Don't skimp on oil when stretching: it is what creates the layers. If the dough keeps springing back, rest it 5 minutes longer. Cooked msemen freeze well; reheat them in a dry pan to crisp them up again.
Cooking it at camp
Do the kneading and folding at home, stack the squares between sheets of baking paper and pack them in the cooler; at camp you just cook them on a griddle or cast-iron pan. Camp burners run hot and scorch the outside, so keep to medium heat.