Here’s a recipe for pancakes made with fine wheat semolina, straight from Morocco! These pancakes contain two types of yeast: baking powder and baker’s yeast.
Their particularity is that they cook on one side only, the other side being covered with cells, due to a chemical reaction between the two yeasts, hence their other name, “thousand-hole” pancakes.
The advantage, compared with traditional pancake batter, is that they contain no milk or eggs!
Serve them for breakfast, brunch, snack or dinner, with all kinds of sweet and savoury toppings! And above all, enjoy!
If you opt for honey or maple syrup, take the time to admire how the honeycombs absorb the liquid and leave your plate almost clean!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Rest Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: a few minutes per batch
Difficulty: easy
Yield: Approx. 24 pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 3.5 tbsp lukewarm water (5.5 dl)
- 1 bag baker’s yeast
- 7.9 oz fine wheat semolina (225 g)
- 3.1 oz flour (90 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Mix the baker’s yeast with 1/3 cup + 2 tbs (1 dl) lukewarm water, leave to stand for 7 to 10 minutes to activate the yeast, it should create a foam.
In a blender, combine the semolina, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the remaining water and the water-yeast mixture, beating at high speed for 30-60 seconds. You’ll obtain a thick pancake batter. Pour into a bowl, cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
To cook the baghrir, use a small pancake pan. Cook a ladleful of batter over medium heat, without turning the pancake over. Repeat until the batter is used up. If you don’t have a pancake pan, try making circles as illustrated below.
Serve baghrir hot or warm with whatever you like: sweet, savoury, honey, maple syrup, jam, cheese, ham, tapenade, etc.!
Here’s an option for serving baghrir with honey and orange blossom syrup, typical of Morocco.
- 2.1 oz butter (60 g)
- 1 oz honey (30 g)
- 1 tbsp. orange blossom water
Melt the butter with the honey and orange blossom water. Set aside over a low heat or bain-marie. Serve with baghrir.
