This is a recipe for the dough used to make msemen. The dough is kneaded like bread dough until soft and smooth.
How to Fold and Make Msemen will show you how to flatten portions of the dough and fold them into squares. Frying the dough in a pan yields a layered pancake or flatbread that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
The recipe below uses a little semolina flour for texture and taste. The use of semolina is a matter of personal preference. Substitute more semolina for the white flour if you like a coarser texture. Or, you can omit the semolina entirely.Yield: Approximately 20 msemen (4" square)
- 3 1/2 cups flour (340 g)
- 1/2 cup fine semolina (90g)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (approx. 1/3 liter)
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- For folding and cooking the msemen:
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup fine semolina
- 1/4 cup very soft unsalted butter
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add 1 1/2 cups of warm water, and mix to form a dough. Add more water if necessary to make a dough that is soft and easy to knead, but not sticky. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add a little flour one tablespoon at a time.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, (or knead the dough in a stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes), until the dough is very smooth and elastic.
Proceed with folding and cooking the dough. See How to Fold and Make Msemen.
