Msemen (Moroccan Flaky Square Flatbread)

Ingredients

• 250 g wheat flour
• 150 g semolina, fine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 2¾ dl water, lukewarm
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 80 g butter, melted
• 4 tbsp honey, to serve

Method

1. 1.

   Knead a very soft dough — Mix the flour, 50 g of the semolina, the salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the lukewarm water in stages and knead for a good 10 minutes until the dough is very soft, smooth and slightly sticky — softer than a bread dough, closer to an earlobe.

2. 2.

   Oil and rest the balls — Divide the dough into 8 balls, roll each in a little of the oil until glossy, and set them apart on an oiled tray. Cover and rest for 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough will stretch without tearing.

3. 3.

   Stretch the dough paper-thin — Oil a smooth worktop generously. Flatten one ball with oiled palms, then push and slide it outwards from the centre until it is a translucent sheet you can read through — a few small holes at the edge are fine.

4. 4.

   Butter and fold into squares — Brush the sheet with melted butter and scatter over a teaspoon of the remaining semolina. Fold the left and right thirds over the middle, butter and dust again, then fold the top and bottom thirds in to make a neat square about 10 cm across.

5. 5.

   Rest the folded squares — Shape the remaining balls the same way and let the folded squares rest for 10 minutes, so they flatten slightly and are easier to press out in the pan.

6. 6.

   Griddle until golden and layered — Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Press a square out to roughly 15 cm with oiled fingers, lay it in the dry pan and cook 2-3 minutes a side, pressing with a spatula, until deep golden patches appear and the layers puff apart. Repeat with the rest.

7. 7.

   Drizzle with honey to serve — Stack the msemen as they come off the heat and serve hot, drizzled with honey or torn apart and dipped into it.