Msemen
مسمن
Flaky Maghrebi pan bread — folded with oil or semolina, cooked on a dry pan, eaten with honey or a stew.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: مسمن.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 hr 35 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Msemen (or rghaif) is a stretched dough, oiled, folded into a square, and cooked on a pan until it laminates. Honey and butter for breakfast; a stew at dinner. It is not a croissant and it is not a tortilla.
Ingredients
- Wheat flour300 g
- Water180 ml
- Salt4.9 ml
- Olive oil60 ml
- Semolina (optional)30 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Knead flour, water and salt until smooth. Rest 30 minutes.
40 minStep 2
Oil the board. Stretch each piece very thin, oil, fold into a square. Rest 15 minutes.
20 minStep 3
Cook on a medium pan, 3–4 minutes a side, until patched brown and the layers show. Serve warm.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Olive oil → A neutral oil
Less perfume.
Tips
- Semolina on the board helps the stretch.
- Honey and smen (fermented butter) is the breakfast. A tagine is dinner.
History & culture
Moroccan and Maghrebi breakfasts. Street stalls. Also the bread you pull apart at a table.
Folded pan breads are older than laminated French pastry. The square is the usual home shape.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Photograph supplied by the editorial kitchen. (Editorial supply).
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Msemen take?
1 hr 35 min all in — 30 min prep, 20 min cook, 45 min rest. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 8 breads. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Vegan.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Frying pan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Olive oil → A neutral oil. Less perfume.
Any tips from this recipe?
Semolina on the board helps the stretch. Honey and smen (fermented butter) is the breakfast. A tagine is dinner.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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