Moroccan baghrir recipe: light thousand-hole pancakes with butter and honey

In the countryside, a Friday morning or a day with guests doesn’t go by without baghrir. It’s made from things you always have at home — semolina, water and yeast — and served hot with butter and honey and a glass of mint tea. In this article we share our Moroccan baghrir recipe step by step: how to get light pancakes full of holes, and the mistakes that stop baghrir from turning out right.

What is baghrir?

Baghrir, often called the “thousand-hole pancake”, is a Moroccan pancake made from a runny batter of fine semolina. What makes it special is that it cooks on one side only, and its surface fills with tiny holes. Those holes soak up the butter and honey, and give baghrir its unmistakable taste and look.

Ingredients

For 15 to 20 medium baghrir:

• 2 glasses of fine semolina
• ½ glass of flour
• 1 tablespoon of baker’s yeast
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• About 3 glasses of lukewarm water (add it gradually, depending on the semolina)

For the sauce: some butter (or smen beldi if you like its flavour) and some pure orange blossom honey, roughly half and half.

Method

1. Combine the ingredients: in a blender (or a large bowl with a whisk), add the semolina, flour, baker’s yeast, sugar and salt, then pour in the lukewarm water little by little.
2. Blend well: let the blender run for 3 to 5 minutes. The batter should be runny and smooth, a bit like thick milk, with no lumps at all.
3. Add the baking powder: at the end, add the baking powder and give it a short blend to mix it in.
4. Let it rest: cover and leave somewhere warm for 20 to 30 minutes, until small bubbles appear on the surface. Don’t leave it too long or it will turn sour.
5. Heat the pan: use a non-stick pan over medium heat. No oil needed.
6. Pour the baghrir: stir the batter gently before each pancake and pour a small ladle into the centre of the pan; it spreads by itself.
7. Cook on one side only: you’ll see the holes appear on top. Baghrir is never flipped — cook it until the whole surface is dry and no longer sticky, about one to two minutes.
8. Lay them out: take them out and place them on a clean cloth side by side. Don’t stack them until they cool, so they don’t stick together.

The butter and honey sauce

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, then add the honey and stir until combined. Don’t let the honey boil; it only needs to warm through with the butter. Pour the sauce over the hot baghrir, or dip each pancake in it and serve straight away.

Orange blossom honey is mild and fragrant and pairs beautifully with baghrir. If you prefer a stronger taste, try another honey. To learn the differences between varieties, read our guide to choosing the right Moroccan honey.

Why doesn’t my baghrir have holes?

• The batter is too thick: add a little lukewarm water and blend again.
• The yeast didn’t work: check that your yeast is still good and that the water is lukewarm, not hot — water that’s too hot kills the yeast.
• The pan is too cold: baghrir needs a properly hot pan from the start, but not a fierce heat, or the bottom will burn.
• The batter wasn’t blended enough: blending is what brings air in and helps the holes form.

Tips from the countryside

• The first one is a test: it tells you whether the pan is hot enough and the batter is the right consistency. Adjust afterwards.
• Wipe the pan: if the baghrir starts to stick, wipe the pan with a lightly oiled cloth and clean it well.
• Storing: leftovers keep in a bag in the fridge, or in the freezer one by one. Warm them in a pan over low heat before serving.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make baghrir without a blender?

Yes — whisk the batter by hand a little longer, until it’s completely smooth with no lumps.

What else can I eat baghrir with besides honey?

Many people love it with beldi almond amlou, or simply with olive oil and honey. If you’ve never tasted amlou, read What is amlou? Ingredients and how to eat it at a Moroccan breakfast.

Baghrir at a Moroccan breakfast

A plate of hot baghrir, honey and butter, amlou and olive oil, and a pot of tea: that’s the breakfast that brings the family together in the countryside. To see how we live these moments, follow our channel Chaidmia Hora on YouTube.

At Chaidmia Hora we deliver pure honey, amlou, beldi olive oil and argan oil to your door, with cash on delivery anywhere in Morocco. We’ve also put everything you need for breakfast together in our Beldi Breakfast Pack. For any question about the recipe or our products, message us on WhatsApp: +212682077365.

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