Baghrir is a famous pancake / crepe from the North African cuisine especially the Moroccan region. It is also called as '1000 holes Pancake' as it is a soft and spongy pancake with many holes.
When looking for breakfast recipes from different countries, this recipe was top on my list. My boys love pancakes on weekend and I wanted to give it a try.
Table of contents
I always have a batch of semolina flour in my pantry to make my most popular Semolina Bread. If you have not tried the Semolina Bread yet, now is a good time to bake a loaf and use the rest of the semolina flour to make Baghrir.
The Baghrir is made traditionally with fine semolina flour and a little bit of plain flour (all purpose flour). They could also be just made with semolina flour, but I added a bit of all purpose flour for texture. Baghrir is cooked just on one side and is served with honey and butter. I made a orange butter sauce to go along with the Baghrir and it was one of the best weekend breakfast recipe.
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I said it is the best weekend breakfast recipe because it needs a bit of fermentation time. The Baghrir though freeze very well and can be made ahead of time to be eaten during the week. The traditional Moroccan pancake just has flour, yeast, sugar, salt and water. Lately, people have started using milk and egg along with other flavorings like orange juice in the batter.
Why make this recipe?
The Baghrir is super soft and spongy and a visual treat. It tastes amazing drenched with some warm honey and butter. The orange butter sauce though, just took the Baghrir to the next level. It had a fresh citrus flavor with the richness of the butter. The kids loved it for breakfast.
I have made the Baghrir completely Vegan, adding no milk or egg to the batter. The Orange sauce though has butter and honey in it which could be easily replaced with coconut oil and agave syrup to make it vegan.
After the Indian breakfast of Akki Roti yesterday, I have the Moroccan Pancake with Orange Butter Sauce today under Breakfast.
Ingredients to Make Baghrir
- Semolina flour - 1 ½ cups
- All Purpose flour - ½ cup
- Active Dry Yeast - 1 Tbsp
- Sugar - 1 tbsp
- Salt - ¼ tsp
- Warm Water - 2 to 2 ½ cups (as needed)
Ingredients to make the Orange Butter Sauce
- Butter - 2 tbsp
- Honey - 1 Tbsp
- Orange Juice - ¼ cup (from freshly squeezed orange)
Procedure to Make Baghrir -
- In about ½ cup of warm water, add the sugar and the yeast and let it sit for about 10 minutes or until the yeast becomes bubbly and frothy.
- In a blender jar, add about 1 cup of warm water, both the flour and salt. Add the proofed yeast mixture and run the blender for 10 seconds. Add more warm water if needed to make a smooth batter. Run the blender for couple of minutes to incorporate more air to the batter. This will make the Baghrir very lacey and fluffy.
- Transfer the batter to a bowl and let it ferment for at last couple of hours in a warm place. The batter should appear very bubbly before we start making the pancakes.
- I left mine for about 3 hours to ferment. After fermenting, mix the batter gently to combine everything well.
- When ready to make the Moroccan pancakes, heat a non stick pan and spray very lightly with oil. We could also use a paper towel sprayed with oil and wipe the pan.
- Once the pan is hot, add a ladle full of batter and gently swirl the pan for the batter to spread. Do not make the pancake too thin or too thick. Too thin will not have as many holes and too thick will not cook too well.
- Let the baghrir cook on low to medium flame for couple of minutes until the top appears dry and cooked. The pancakes will be cooked only on one side and hence it important to cook them well.
- Remove the baghrir from the pan and keep them separated by placing parchment papers between them. They would stick if stacked up.
Procedure to Make the Orange Butter Sauce
- Heat the butter in a pan. Once the butter melts, add the honey.
- When the honey melts, add the orange juice and mix well.
- Let the sauce simmer for minute and serve warm.
Expert tips
- The batter has to be rested enough to be fermented as that is when it will have the many holes appear on the Baghrir. If the batter does not ferment well, the number of holes and the texture of Baghrir will be different.
- The pan should be in medium heat when cooking the Baghrir. If the pan is too hot, the outside will cook and the inside will remain under cooked.
- The baghrir's should not be stacked as it will stick to each other. Keep them separated by layering a parchment sheep in between them.
- The Baghrir's freeze well. Keep them layered between parchment and then slightly warm it in microwave before serving.
- The baghrir's can be served with pancake syrup, or just honey and butter. The orange flavored butter sauce just adds a layer of fresh flavor and works great.
More Pancake recipes
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Printable Recipe Card
Ingredients
Ingredients to Make Baghrir - Makes around 15 pancakes
- Semolina flour - 1 ½ cups
- All Purpose flour - ½ cup
- Active Dry Yeast - 1 Tbsp
- Sugar - 1 tbsp
- Salt - ¼ tsp
- Warm Water - 2 to 2 ½ cups as needed
Ingredients to make the Orange Butter Sauce -
- Butter - 2 tbsp
- Honey - 1 Tbsp
- Orange Juice - ¼ cup from freshly squeezed orange
Instructions
Procedure to Make Baghrir -
- In about ½ cup of warm water, add the sugar and the yeast and let it sit for about 10 minutes or until the yeast becomes bubbly and frothy.
- In a blender jar, add about 1 cup of warm water, both the flour and salt. Add the proofed yeast mixture and run the blender for 10 seconds. Add more warm water if needed to make a smooth batter. Run the blender for couple of minutes to incorporate more air to the batter. This will make the Baghrir very lacey and fluffy.
- Transfer the batter to a bowl and let it ferment for at last couple of hours in a warm place. The batter should appear very bubbly before we start making the pancakes.
- I left mine for about 3 hours to ferment. After fermenting, mix the batter gently to combine everything well.
- When ready to make the pancakes, heat a non stick pan and spray very lightly with oil. We could also use a paper towel sprayed with oil and wipe the pan.
- Once the pan is hot, add a ladle full of batter and gently swirl the pan for the batter to spread. Do not make the pancake too thin or too thick. Too thin will not have as many holes and too thick will not cook too well.
- Let the baghrir cook on low to medium flame for couple of minutes until the top appears dry and cooked. The pancakes will be cooked only on one side and hence it important to cook them well.
- Remove the baghrir from the pan and keep them separated by placing parchment papers between them. They would stick if stacked up.
Procedure to Make the Orange Butter Sauce -
- Heat the butter in a pan. Once the butter melts, add the honey.
- When the honey melts, add the orange juice and mix well.
- Let the sauce simmer for minute and serve warm.
Notes
- The batter has to be rested enough to be fermented as that is when it will have the many holes appear on the Baghrir. If the batter does not ferment well, the number of holes and the texture of Baghrir will be different.
- The pan should be in medium heat when cooking the Baghrir. If the pan is too hot, the outside will cook and the inside will remain under cooked.
- The baghrir's should not be stacked as it will stick to each other. Keep them separated by layering a parchment sheep in between them.
- The Baghrir's freeze well. Keep them layered between parchment and then slightly warm it in microwave before serving.
- The baghrir's can be served with pancake syrup, or just honey and butter. The orange flavored butter sauce just adds a layer of fresh flavor and works great.
Tatiana says
Semolina is used a lot in a Russian cuisine a lot. Espessialy baking. Semolina pancakes is smth very interearing to try for me and my kids!
swathi says
Baghrir with orange butter looks really delicious , I think I can eat not only for breakfast but also for lunch and dinner too. Pancakes are my kids favorite. I will give it a try.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
What a great treat for breakfast. I'm a bit tired of our regular oatmeal and cereal. These crepes would be a wonderful change and I love the citrus sauce to go with it. My tummy thanks you for the recipe - I needed the switch from the usual.
Michelle Blackwood says
Is this similar to dosa? I can't wait to try a vegan version because it sounds and looks delicious!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
It has a fermented flavor Michelle, but not quite like dosa. It is just so different in its own way and you will love it.
Veena Azmanov says
Wow, this recipe really impresses! This is the perfect breakfast for me and my family. Very nice presentation. I like that it can be cook quickly and easily. This is perfect for me. I definitely want to try this, and I'm sure it's very tasty. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Catherine says
I've never tried making pancakes with yeast but I love this idea and they look beautiful! I also love the sound of that orange butter sauce...perfect dish to wake up to!
Reesa Lewandowski says
Wow that looks delicious and I would love to try that orange butter!
Carlee says
It looks like they live up to their name with all of those little holes! We love trying new pancakes and these look intriguing and the orange butter sauce has my interest as well!
Claudia Lamascolo says
I really love the fresh taste here. Orange is a favorite here in Florida we have an abundance of them This recipe is sure to please everyone here in our home thank you
Srivalli says
The pancakes look so nicely done Sandhya, love this Baghrir..and te sauce sounds fantastic!..lovely picture for the letter!
preeti garg says
I already shared eggless baghrir.. Its looks fabulous.. personally i enjoyed this pancake with chocolate and icecream.
Mayuri Patel says
Same pinch Sandhya... we enjoyed baghrir so much for breakfast. Hubby and I tried them with the syrup I made, chocolate sauce and jam too. After that we had no space in our tummy for lunch. Love your vegan version. My first trial was the vegan one. Next time I make them will try your fresh orange butter sauce.
Priya Srinivasan says
Wow sandhya what a pretty color, must be the orange butter, looks lovely,soft and flufffy! Another pretty 1000 eye pancake today but, what a difference in both! Superb choice!
sapana says
When I saw this on Mayuri's post I wanted to bookmark but could not because of eggs, here you posted vegan recipe to my rescue. The semolina pancakes look so soft and spongy and that orange sauce is looking perfect to pair with.
Gayathri Kumar says
The pancakes look so beautiful with all those holes in in them. And the sauce with butter and orange sounds absolutely yum.
Padmajha PJ says
Such a fluffy pancake Sandhya. I am eyeing both the sauce and the dish it is served in!
Vaishali Sabnani says
A vegan pancake is such a delight to see..I adore such recipes. The tiny holes make it look very pretty and I love the fact that you made this orange sauce..I simply love these citrusy sauces, one just gets hooked on on these. Beautiful pick and an awesome post !
Manjula Bharath says
wow I just made a yeasted pancake today for tomorrow post , This looks so soft and fluffy 🙂 I am gawking at those pancakes with an amazing orange butter sauce sandhya .. Oh yum my mouth is just watering looking at these perfectly round beauties 🙂 The small little holes randomly scattered all over the pancake looks so beautiful !! This is an amazing option for vegan recipe..
Pavani says
Your baghrir turned out so soft, lacy and fluffy Sandhya. Like the fact that you made it 100%Vegan. My pancakes loving kids will enjoy this Moroccan breakfast treat.
harini says
Beautiful eggless pancakes, Sandhya. The sauce is just as flavorful
Sandhiya ThirumalaiKumar says
Wow, those orange sauce take this baghrir to the whole new level. Baghrir itself looks so spongy and fluffy. Looks so appetizing and making it as complete vegan, super Sandhya !!
harini says
Beautiful looking pancakes, Sandhya. The sauce sounds very flavorful as well.
Srividhya Gopalakrishnan says
Love the eggless version of the pancakes. Perfect soft and spongy pancakes. Great pick for the breakfast and with that orange sauce it looks so tempting.
Priya Suresh says
Baghrir with orange butter sauce, while reading the name itself my mouth is just watering here. I just love this semolina pancake simply with honey butter sauce. Am sure this orange butter sauce will definitely please my tastebuds.
Sharmila Kingsly says
They are so soft and fluffy . The pores tell a lot of stories and why it is a sure to try pancake.. So beautiful with the orange butter sauce..