Moroccan Baghrir (Thousand-Hole Semolina Pancakes)

About This Recipe

Baghrir, known as "thousand-hole pancakes," are a Moroccan breakfast staple made from a thin, yeasted semolina batter poured onto a hot griddle and cooked only on one side — unlike Western pancakes, they're never flipped. As the batter cooks, bubbles rise and pop across the surface, leaving behind the signature honeycomb of tiny holes that gives the pancake its name and lets it soak up syrup beautifully.\n\nThe technique that determines success here is getting the batter thin enough and the griddle hot enough that bubbles form quickly and burst on their own, without ever touching a spatula to flip them. If the batter is too thick or the heat too low, the holes won't form properly and you'll end up with a denser, unevenly cooked pancake instead of the classic spongy texture.\n\nServe warm, straight off the griddle, with a mixture of melted butter and honey (or amlou, a Moroccan almond-honey-argan oil spread) poured generously over the top so it seeps into every hole.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.5 cupsfine semolina flour
• 0.5 cupall-purpose flour
• 2 tspinstant yeast
• 1 tspsugar
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 2.25 cupswarm water
• 4 tbspbutter(melted)
• 0.33 cuphoney

Instructions

1. 1

   Blend the batter

   Combine semolina, flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a blender with warm water. Blend 1-2 minutes until completely smooth and slightly frothy.

2. 2

   Rest

   Pour the batter into a bowl, stir in baking powder, and let rest, covered, at room temperature 20-30 minutes until it's slightly bubbly and thin, like heavy cream.

3. 3

   Heat the griddle

   Heat a non-stick griddle or pan over medium heat — no oil needed. Test with a small spoonful of batter; it should bubble within 10-15 seconds.

4. 4

   Cook the pancakes

   Pour about 1/3 cup of batter onto the griddle in a circle. Cook undisturbed — do not flip — until the surface is completely covered in tiny holes and looks dry and set, 2-3 minutes.

   If the holes aren't forming, thin the batter with a tablespoon or two more warm water — the batter should pour like a thin crepe batter, not a thick pancake batter.

5. 5

   Repeat and serve

   Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter, stacking finished pancakes as you go. Warm the butter and honey together and pour generously over the stack just before serving.

Variations

• •

  Serve with amlou (a Moroccan spread of almonds, honey and argan oil) instead of plain honey butter for a more traditional pairing.

• •

  Top with fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar for a modern brunch presentation.

• •

  Make mini baghrir for a party platter by using a tablespoon of batter per pancake instead of a third of a cup.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat briefly in a covered pan or microwave with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out — they're best fresh, though.

Frequently Asked Questions