Moroccan Pancakes - Baghrir
Baghrir is most commonly known as the “thousand holes pancake”, sounds like an exotic 1001 nights desserts, no? Well I think baghrir is just the coolest of all the pancakes.
Baghrir has a delicate texture, it feels light and tender and in my opinion, the most special thing about it, is the unique topping/pancake combination we experience while savouring them.
Let me explain.
Thanks to the yeast present in the recipe, as soon as the batter hits the pan, tiny holes start appearing on the pancake, and this my friends makes a big difference.
The holes, they are magic, they catch the topping and absorb it, allowing your pancake and your topping to become one supper yummy and tasty treat.
Try it, you will love it.
Moroccan pancakes – Baghrir
Makes about 15 12 cm (5 inch) pancakes
INGREDIENTS
250g of fine semolina flour
4 tablespoons plain flour (40g)
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 heaped teaspoon active dry yeast
½ teaspoon salt
500ml warm water
2 teaspoons baking powder
METHOD
• In a blender insert the semolina, flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm water and blend until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth.
If you don’t have a blender place all the ingredients in a large bowl and use an electric whisk instead of a blender.
• Add the baking powder and blend again for a few seconds. Leave the batter for 30 minutes to allow the yeast to proof and blend again for a few seconds.
• Grease a non-stick pan and place it over medium high heat. Wait for the pan to be very hot to start baking the pancakes, otherwise you won’t get many holes on your pancakes.
• Place a small amount of batter (as you would for any pancake) and leave the pancake until it dries out. As soon as you place the batter on the pan, the batter should start bubbling and drying out. Once the baghrir is no longer wet (it takes about a minute), it will mean that it is cooked. Baghrir are cooked only on one side. Never flip them while baking them as you will loose the holes.
• Repeat until you've used all the batter. Don’t pile up your Moroccan pancakes while they are still hot, as they will stick to each other. If you want to pile them when they are hot, separate them with a tissue.
• Serve hot and top your baghrirs with anything yummy, pretty much like with any other pancake!
Notes
• The traditional topping for baghrir in Morocco is melted honey and butter syrup. To make the syrup, heat equal portions of honey and butter until melted. You could also add some drops of orange blossom water to the syrup.
• Warm water in this recipe means water that is warmer than room temperature but not hot.
• If no bubbles start popping when baking the pancakes, it is most likely that the batter is too thick and/or that the batter hasn’t proved long enough. In that case, add a couple of tablespoons of warm water and leave the batter to proof for an extra 15 minutes.