It is usually served for breakfast or afternoon snack with coffee or tea. It can be served as is or with honey, butter or a mix of honey and butter fragrant with rose water.
Msemen means โwell bakedโ in Berber. It has different names depending on the region. Msemen is basically made of semolina, flour, water, olive oil and salt, that’s it!
Prepare the Msemen dough
Form small balls of dough
Let the balls of dough rest
Cover the balls of dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 1/2 hour. The more the balls of dough rest, the better they can be rolled and stretched.
Starting shaping the Msemen
Roll the ball of dough with your hand into a thin large circle, make sure to dump your hand in the bowl of olive oil from time to time
Use your 2 hands to gently stretch the dough all around.
Gently stretch the dough in 2 close spots with 2 hands, then move to the next 2 spots with your 2 hands until you make a large thin stretched circle of dough ( it does not have to be perfect). The large circle of dough is transparent at this point.
Cook the Msemen
Repeat the operation of rolling and stretching the dough ball into thin transparent big disc, then place the cooled, cooked thin Msemen in the middle.
Your hand should be oiled (with olive oil) while moving the Msemen in the skillet if you can handle the heat. If the Msemen is well oiled, it will not come out dry.
Please check the recipe in video here: https://youtu.be/91FeJEixVpA
๐ฉ๐ฟ Algerian Layered Flatbread – Msemen
Ingredients
- 3 cups fine semolina
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- Around 2 1/3 cup warm water(more or less)
- Olive oil to shape and cook the Msemen
Instructions
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, attached with a hook, put semolina, flour, salt and 1 cup warm water.
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Mix well for about 3 minutes then add water little by little in small amount while kneading.
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Stop kneading from time to time to check the dough if it needs more water.
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Keep kneading the dough at low for 20 minutes total while adding water as needed until obtain a nice smooth dough. Depending of your semolina and flour, you may need to add more or less water.
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Oil your hand with olive oil (about 1 tbsp) and gather the dough into a ball.
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Pour about ยผ cup olive oil in a small bowl and oil your hands with it and form small balls of dough, the size of small tangerines.
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Place the balls of dough in a large plate or platter(make sure to grease the dish with olive oil to prevent the dough from sticking).
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Cover the balls of dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 1/2hour. The more the balls of dough rest, the better they can be rolled and stretched. I usually prepare the dough in the morning and cook the Msemen in the after.
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Oil your working board (with olive oil) and take 1 ball of dough at the time.
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Roll the ball of dough with your hand into a thin large circle, make sure to dump your hand in the bowl of olive oil from time to time.
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Use your 2 hands to gently stretch the dough all around. Gently stretch the dough in 2 close spots with 2 hands, then move to the next 2 spots with your 2 hands until you make a large thin stretched circle of dough ( it does not have to be perfect). The large circle of dough is transparent at this point.
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Sprinkle the large circle of dough with olive oil.
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Form a square shape by folding the large circle, one side at the time. Start with the top side, fold it into third, then fold the bottom side (the opposite side) and finish with the right and left side. You can stretch the Msemen formed to make it look like a better shaped square.
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Heat up a large skillet or Tajine over medium low heat, and place the Msemen on the skillet. The tricky part is how to transport that thin Msemen (square) to the skillet. With the back of your 2 hands, hold the bottom 2 corners of the Msemen (square shaped), strech your hands underneath, to make it easy to transport it to the skillet. You can use a parchment paper on the working board at step 9 to make it easy to transport the Msemen to the skillet.
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Cook the Msemen in a skillet or Tajine on medium low heat for few minutes in each side (it's very thin). Donโt overcook it!
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Make half of the dough balls into thin Msemen, then start doubling them or shaping the final Msemen.
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Repeat step 9 to 12 then place the cooked, cooled first thin Msemen in the middle of the large circle of dough and form a square shape again. That is a final Msemen!
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Cook the final Msemen (doubled) in both sides on medium to medium low heat in a skillet until golden. Your hand should be oiled (olive oil) while moving the Msemen in the skillet if you can handle the heat. If the Msemen is well oiled, it will not come out dry. Do not overcook it!
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Serve warm as is with a good tea or coffee or you can serve it with honey, butter or a mix of honey and butter fragrant with rose water if you like.
Recipe Notes
- Place Msemen, one on top of the other. If not served immediately, let them cool and place in a ziploc bag to keep them soft.
- You can use vegetable oil instead of olive oil if you like.
- Msemen can be made with a good fine semolina only or a mix of semolina and all purpose flour.