Moroccan Mesmen Semolina Pancakes by Shelina Permalloo
| Serves: 6 | Chef: Shelina Permalloo | Category: Pancake | Machine: Mixer | Total time (min.): 50 |
These authentic Moroccan pancakes are known as msemen or sometimes rghaif. Super popular throughout North Africa, what makes these pancakes scrumptious is the lamination process that produces well-defined layers with a beautifully crispy on the outside but delightfully chewy within. These are best served straight from the griddle slathered with fruity conserve, floral honey or tangy cheese.
Ingredients
To make the pancakes:
- 250g extra fine semolina flour
- 250g 00 plain flour (any finely milled flour will work)
- 1tsp salt
- 550ml warm water (depending on the flours you may need to
- use 50ml more or less)
For lamination:
- Fresh mango
- Fresh limes
- 300ml double cream
Tools
- Titanium Chef Patissier XL
Method
- In the Kenwood mixing bowl, weigh out the flour, warm water, and the salt
- Attach the dough hook and mix the dough for around 3-4 minutes until the mixture is one homogenous dough
- Remove from the bowl and divide the dough equally into six pieces – you can weigh each piece using the in-built scales
- Allow the pieces of dough to rest for 30 minutes
- To start the lamination - using your hands, spread some of the butter and oil mixture onto the kitchen work surface. Take a ball of the rested dough and begin stretching this in such a way that it becomes almost translucent in the shape of a circle, it may sometimes tear, and this isn’t an issue either. It will end up being almost eight times large in diameter than the raw dough ball. Keep using as much of the butter/oil mixture you need to help the dough stretch into a massive circle. Once you have stretched it as far as it will go, you want to fold it into itself by taking the top part of the circle and folding it into the middle, then the sides into the middle and then the bottom into the middle. You will end up with a square shape with bubbles and lamination. Allow these squares to rest for a few minutes.
- Before cooking, press the squares down a little more to flatten them and make them a little larger in size – they will end up being around 20cm x 20cm in shape.
- Heat a flat griddle pan over a medium heat, place the square dough onto the flat pan, allow some bubbles to appear on the surface, flip the dough and then once you see more bubbles appear, repeat the process by flipping and waiting for the pancakes to cook. You will notice it is cooked when you have lots of air bubbles, and the bread colour changes to a light yellow colour with some darker patches where the bread is catching on the pan.
- Remove from the heat and wrap the bread in a clean tea towel to keep warm and soft. Continue this process with the other five pancakes until they are all cooked.
- Serve immediately with fresh honey, fruits and, of course, Moroccan mint tea!