Moroccan Flatbread (Msmen)
Msmen is a traditional Moroccan flatbread made with layers of super thin dough, butter, and semolina. Perfect for serving with sweet and savory toppings, it’s a buttery blank canvas that’s commonly enjoyed for breakfast with honey and butter.
This popular layered flatbread is a staple at the center of most Moroccan breakfasts.
The special folding technique of a super thin dough results in what feels like hundreds of layers of buttery, flakey dough. It’s a tradition that was passed on from my Grandma to my aunts, who then passed it on to me!
Serve with a pot of Moroccan Mint Tea and a bowl of honey for an authentic Moroccan experience.
Step by Step Instructions
Creating Layers
The most impressive and important thing about Msmen is the layers upon layers of thin dough.
We’re achieving this by creating a super thin dough, folded over itself several times, then stacked on top of another thin dough, and folded again!
All of these layers are separated with a spread of butter and semolina, allowing them to puff up and separate when fried.
Did you know? In Morocco we call this delicacy both Msmen and Rghaif. In my family we typically called them Rghaif when they were round and Msmen when they were square shaped.
Stuffed Msmen
I’m not sure how traditional this is, but growing up my aunt would sometimes add pieces of cheese to the center of our Msmen before frying, making a super addicting melty, cheesy situation. As a cheese addict, this was always my favorite version.
In testing this recipe and talking with family, my brother reminded me of another filling my aunt would occasionally incorporate: khlea.
Khlea is a Moroccan dried meat (usually lamb or beef) that is preserved in clarified butter. It’s a truly spectacular delicacy we would enjoy with bread or eggs, or stuffed inside of msmen!
Traditional Moroccan Breakfast Components
As mentioned above, msmen is usually enjoyed among other elements of a traditional Moroccan breakfast.
In my family the spread typically consisted of some combination of mint tea, orange juice, msmen or baghrir, bread, olive oil, khlea, smen, honey, olive oil, eggs in some form, and fresh fruit.
Looking back, this kind of spread is far more elaborate than I have the time for on a regular basis. Even though my aunts usually had some of these items premade (orange juice from the store or baghrir from the freezer), it was always a labor of love.
That said, Msmen are one of those dishes that are special enough to stand on their own! Serve with a drizzle of honey and a cup of tea to keep it simple.
Bsaha,
Moroccan Flatbread (Msmen)
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8 flatbreads 1x
- Category: Bread, Breakfast, Appetizer, Dessert
- Method: Toasted
- Cuisine: Moroccan
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Msmen is a traditional Moroccan flatbread made with layers of super thin dough, butter, and semolina. Perfect for serving with sweet and savory toppings, it’s a buttery blank canvas that’s commonly enjoyed for breakfast with honey and butter.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup fine semolina flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
For Assembly:
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup semolina
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large bowl combine both flours, salt, sugar, and warm water. Knead thoroughly on a clean surface until a stretchy dough forms that is no longer sticky. Transfer to an oil coated bowl and cover with a clean towel to rest for 30 minutes.
- Work the dough: Once the dough has rested, knead for a couple minutes to release any air bubbles, then divide into 16 equal sized balls (about 56g each*). Arrange the balls on an oiled cutting board or tray, cover with a clean towel and let rest for another 30 minutes.
- Shape the msmen: Using oil to coat your hands and your work surface, take a ball of dough and flatten out into a super thin layer. Continue to stretch and flatten the dough until it’s thin enough to see the counter through it. Sprinkle with melted butter and semolina mixed. Fold two opposite ends of the dough into the center, sprinkling with butter and semolina, then do the same with the other two opposite ends, creating a square shape sprinkling again with butter and semolina.
- Continue shaping the msmen: Take another dough ball and flatten out as you did with the first one. Sprinkle with butter and semolina. Set the square shaped dough you formed in step 3 and arrange in the center of the flattened dough. Fold in two opposite ends over the square in the center, then sprinkle with butter and semolina. Fold in the other two opposite ends and sprinkle again. Flatten the entire square to remove any air bubbles.
- Finish prepping the dough: Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all of the dough is formed.
- Toast the msmen: Heat an oiled skillet over medium heat before toasting the msmen on each side until the lightly puff up and are golden brown all around, flipping regularly. Enjoy with honey and butter or olive oil.
Notes
If desired: Add a few pieces of cheese to the center of the dough before folding for a cheese stuffed msmen.
*No need to weigh out the balls – it’s only if you want to be a perfectionist in the size of the msmen 🙂