Homemade Moroccan Pancakes

This past weekend we celebrated Eid al-fitr, the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. My mother-in-law always makes these yummy Homemade Moroccan Pancakes called Beghrir during Ramadan because they keep well and are easy offer as a snack or as part of Iftar, the break of the day’s fast. My favorite way to make them is with creamy cheese and honey. Moroccan food is very versatile and can be served at many different times of the day.

These tender Moroccan pancakes are made from semolina flour and yeast. I love watching them cook on the pan and seeing all the bubbles form and break on the pancake.

Beghrir are cooked only on one side, so they are very easy to make. The only thing to keep in mind is to allow up to one hour for the batter to rest.

When you add the batter to the pan – I usually use about scant 1/2 cup for a small pan – you want to swirl the pan so the batter is distributed.

To speed up the cooking, try using several skillets at the same time. You could also use a large griddle.
Beghrir are best served with butter and honey.

Homemade Moroccan Beghrir Pancakes

1 1/2 cups fine semolina
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon yeast

Mix the flour, semolina, salt, sugar and baking powder in a mixing bowl. In a blender, measure lukewarm water to the 3-cup line. Add the yeast and process on low speed to blend.
Gradually add the dry ingredients. Increase the processing speed and blend for a full minute, or until very smooth and creamy. Pour the batter into a bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap, and leave to rest for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the top of the batter is light and foamy. Make sure to use a large bowl to leave room for the batter to rise and foam.
After the batter has rested and is foamy, vigorously stir 2 tablespoons of water into the batter to thin the foam. Leave to rest another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The batter should be thin, like crepe batter.
Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Use a ladle to pour batter into the hot skillet. Pour carefully and slowly into the center and the batter will spread evenly into a circle. Make the beghrir as large as you like.
Bubbles should appear on the surface of the beghrir as it cooks. Don’t flip the beghrir. It only gets cooked on one side. Cook for about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes.
Transfer the beghrir to cool in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel. Once they are cool, they can be stacked without sticking. Repeat with the remaining batter.