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Msemmen
مسمن.jpg
Msemmen
Type Bread
Place of origin Maghreb
Main ingredients Flour, durum wheat semolina, dry yeast, melted butter, salt, sugar and water
Variations Mhadjeb

Msemmen (pronounced m-sem-men) is a super popular flatbread from North Africa. It's a traditional food from the Maghreb region, which includes countries like Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. People often enjoy Msemmen for breakfast or a snack. It's usually served with sweet things like honey or jam. Sometimes, it's even stuffed with tasty fillings like meat or vegetables. This special pancake-like bread comes from the Berber people.

Different Kinds of Msemmen

There are a few different ways to make Msemmen. One type is called Mlewi in Tunisia. For this, the dough is pulled into long strands. These strands are then shaped into a round, flat bread. Msemmen is also quite similar to other flatbreads from around the world. For example, it's like sabaayah from Somalia. It also reminds people of paratha from India.

How Msemmen is Made

Msemmem
Msemmen cooking on a griddle

Making Msemmen starts with a simple dough. The main ingredients are flour, a special type of wheat called durum wheat semolina, and a little dry yeast. You also add melted butter, salt, sugar, and some water. Once the dough is ready, it's divided into several small balls.

Each dough ball is then rolled out very thinly on a surface that has been lightly oiled. After rolling, the dough is folded into a square shape. This folding creates many thin layers inside the pancake. A bit of semolina is sprinkled between these layers. This helps prevent the layers from sticking together. It also helps them separate nicely when the Msemmen cooks. Finally, the square pancakes are cooked on a hot griddle until they are golden brown and flaky.

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