andrejthechef
MoroccoPancakesBreakfastVegetarian

Baghrir with Honey-Butter Sauce

Moroccan baghrir, the thousand-hole pancake: a yeasted semolina batter cooked on one side only, then served warm with melted butter and honey.

prep
50 min
cook
25 min
total
1 h 15 min
serves
4
level
medium
Three baghrir semolina pancakes covered in tiny holes, glistening with honey-butter sauce on a blue and white plate, with a small bowl of the sauce beside it

Baghrir is a Moroccan semolina pancake with a top full of tiny holes, which is why it is called the "thousand-hole" pancake. It is made from a yeasted semolina batter, cooked on one side only, and served warm with a sauce of melted butter and honey that runs into the holes. It is eaten at breakfast and with tea.

Two things make the holes. The batter has to be thin, like heavy cream, and blended well so it is full of air. Then it cooks over gentle heat without turning. The bubbles rise and burst as the underside sets, leaving open holes. Flip it and the pattern is gone.

Baghrir with Honey-Butter Sauce is one of the best breakfasts from around the world.

method

  1. Put the semolina, flour, sugar, salt, yeast and baking powder in a blender, add the warm water and blend for 2 minutes, until smooth, foamy and as thin as heavy cream.

  2. Pour the batter into a bowl, cover and let it rest in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes, until the surface is covered with bubbles.

  3. Heat a nonstick skillet, about 20 to 24 cm (8 to 10 inches), over medium-low heat. If you like, wipe it with a few drops of oil on a paper towel. It should be barely greased.

  4. Stir the batter gently and ladle about 80 ml (1/3 cup) into the pan, swirling to form a round. Bubbles appear straight away. Do not flip it.

  5. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the surface is dry and matte, with open holes, and the underside is pale golden. Slide onto a clean kitchen towel with the holey side up. Repeat, stirring the batter every few pancakes.

  6. Warm the butter and honey in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until melted and smooth. Do not boil.

  7. Lay the baghrir holey side up on plates, overlapping if needed, pour the warm butter-honey sauce over them so it fills the holes and serve right away.

chef's tips

  • Do not stack the pancakes until they have cooled. Stacked warm, they stick and the holes collapse.
  • If the pancakes are thick and have few holes, thin the batter with a few tablespoons of warm water. If they stick, the pan is too hot.
  • Fine semolina is important. Coarse semolina leaves the pancakes gritty.
  • Baghrir keep for a day in a sealed container. Warm them briefly in a dry pan or the oven before saucing.