Baghrir — Moroccan Thousand-Hole Pancakes
Light semolina pancakes cooked on one side only, covered in tiny holes that soak up melted butter and honey.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 12
- Difficulty
- Easy
Baghrir are the spongy, honeycombed pancakes that appear on the Moroccan breakfast table and again at teatime. The batter is blended, left to rise, then poured into a dry pan where it bubbles and sets with hundreds of open holes.
They are cooked on one side only. The top must never be turned — those holes are the whole point, and they exist to hold the butter-and-honey syrup poured over them.
The batter is blitzed in a blender in two minutes. The only thing it asks of you is 30 to 40 minutes of patience while the yeast does its work.
Ingredients
Makes 12 servings
For the batter
To serve
Instructions
Blend the batter
Put all the batter ingredients in a blender with two-thirds of the water and blitz for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the water and blitz again briefly. The batter should be thin, like single cream — thinner than you expect.
Let it rise
Pour into a bowl, cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, until the surface is covered in bubbles and it smells faintly of yeast. Do not stir it after this point.
Heat the pan
Set a non-stick pan over a medium heat, dry — no oil or butter at all. Test with a spoonful of batter: it should set within seconds and start opening holes.
Cook on one side
Ladle batter into the centre and let it spread by itself into a circle. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes without touching it. The holes will open from the edges inward. It is ready when the surface is dry and matt all over, with no wet patches in the middle.
Cool flat
Lift each baghrir onto a clean cloth in a single layer. Do not stack them until they are completely cool or they will glue together.
Serve
Melt the butter with the honey and orange blossom water, and pour it over the warm pancakes just before serving with mint tea.
Cook’s notes
- If the holes do not appear, the batter is too thick. Whisk in 50 ml more water and try again.
- If the holes appear but the pancake stays wet, the pan is too cool. Raise the heat slightly.
- Baghrir freeze well. Cool fully, stack with baking paper between, and reheat briefly in a dry pan or microwave.
Recipe information
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Total time
- 30 min
- Servings
- 12
- Calories
- 165 kcal per serving
- Cuisine
- Moroccan
- Course
- Breakfast
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Keywords
- baghrir, moroccan pancakes, thousand hole pancakes, baghrir recipe
Nutrition is an estimate per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions
Why does baghrir have holes?
Can I make baghrir without a blender?
Can I make the batter the night before?
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