Beghrir, Ghrayef, Mchahda, Thousand-Hole Pancakes
This baghrir recipe makes 8 spongy Moroccan thousand-hole pancakes from a yeasted semolina batter, cooked on one side only until the tops are covered in tiny holes. Serve them hot with melted honey butter, the classic Moroccan breakfast way, or with jam. One serving is about 220 g.
Baghrir, also called beghrir, ghrayef or mchahda, is the thousand-hole pancake of the Maghreb — a spongy, yeasted semolina pancake cooked on one side only, so the top fills with tiny holes that soak up whatever is poured over it. The most common way to eat it in Morocco and Algeria is dipped in a honey-butter mixture, and it is popular for breakfast, as a snack, and for iftar during Ramadan. The name is old: it comes from Berber kitchens, where the pancake's softness gave it a name that means, roughly, too soft to hold. A cook following this recipe makes spongy one-sided pancakes riddled with holes — not the puffed pocket bread of Moroccan batbout, which is a kneaded yeasted dough cooked on both sides until it balloons.
Pairs well with: Melted honey butter and Moroccan mint tea
Provenance
Morocco
Moroccan Breakfast Classic
Middle Eastern
Time Dedication
1h 5m
50m prep • 15m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
449 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 220 g
Technical Skill
Intermediate
Medium (Yeasted Batter)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Prime Morning Fit
Lunch
Inappropriate
Dinner
Inappropriate
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Moroccan Breakfast Classic
Photo: Sabah HAANA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $1 per serving at home (USD)
A good baghrir is pale gold, soft and spongy, with a top covered in tiny holes — never browned on top, never flipped like an ordinary pancake, and never dense in the middle.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Blend the Batter and Rest
50 Mins • Blender and Bowl
Put the 250g fine semolina, the 100g plain flour, the 7g instant yeast, the 10g sugar, the 5g salt and the 5g baking powder in a blender with the 500ml warm water. Blend for 2 minutes until completely smooth and thin, like single cream. Pour into a bowl, cover and rest for 40 minutes until the batter is bubbly and smells faintly yeasty.
Maestro Tip: The batter must be thin — it should pour in a steady stream from a ladle. If it is thick like cake batter, whisk in warm water a tablespoon at a time.
5 Mins Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Put the 250g fine semolina, the 100g plain flour, the 7g instant yeast, the 10g sugar, the 5g salt and the 5g baking powder in a blender. Add the 500ml warm water and blend for 2 minutes until completely smooth, with no gritty bits left.
A blender is the reliable way to a lump-free batter. If you whisk by hand, beat for 5 minutes and then push the batter through a sieve.
Done when: A thin, smooth batter that pours like single cream.
40 Mins Warm place, about 25°C (77°F)
Pour the batter into a large bowl, cover with a clean cloth and leave in a warm place for 40 minutes. The batter should rise slightly, fill with tiny bubbles and smell faintly yeasty.
Do not stir the batter down after the rest — those bubbles are what become the holes. Give it one gentle stir only if a skin has formed.
Done when: The batter is bubbly on the surface and smells faintly of yeast.
3 Mins Medium heat, about 180°C (350°F)
Set a heavy non-stick pan over medium heat for 3 minutes. Do not add oil: baghrir is cooked in a dry pan. Flick in a drop of water — it should sizzle and vanish in a second.
A dry pan is essential. Oil stops the batter from gripping the pan, and the holes will not form properly.
Done when: The pan is evenly hot and a drop of water sizzles away at once.
8 Mins Medium heat, about 180°C (350°F)
Ladle about 80 ml of batter into the centre of the pan and let it spread into a round about 15 cm across. Cook for 2–3 minutes without touching it and without flipping: bubbles will rise, pop and leave tiny holes all over the top. Lift it out when the top is dry and the holes are set.
Never flip a baghrir — it is cooked on one side only, and the pale, holey top is the point of the dish. If the holes are few, the pan is too hot or the batter too thick.
Done when: The top is dry, pale gold and covered in tiny holes; the underside is lightly golden.
7 Mins Medium heat, about 180°C (350°F)
Wipe the pan clean with a dry cloth between pancakes and cook the remaining batter the same way, one ladle at a time, until you have 8 pancakes. Stack them hole-side up under a clean tea towel as you go so they stay soft and warm.
If the pan gets too hot the pancakes brown before the holes open — take it off the heat for 30 seconds and carry on.
Done when: Eight soft, pale-gold pancakes, every top covered in holes.
2 Mins Low heat, about 60°C (140°F)
Warm the 60g honey and the 40g butter together in a small pan over low heat until melted and glossy. Serve the baghrir hot, 2 per person, with the honey butter spooned over the holey tops so it sinks in.
Serve the honey butter warm, not hot — it should flow into the holes, not slide off the top.
Done when: Hot pancakes with glossy honey butter soaking into the holes.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Eat baghrir the moment it leaves the pan, while it is still soft and warm and the honey butter is sinking into the holes. A good baghrir is pale gold, spongy and riddled with tiny holes — never browned on top, never flipped, and never dense or doughy.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
449
kcal / serving
Protein
11g
Complete AA
Carbs
81g
Complex
Fats
9g
Healthy
| Energy | 449 kcal |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 81 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Fibre | 3.6 g |
| Sugar | 15.5 g |
| Sodium | 621 mg |
| Energy | 204 kcal |
| Protein | 5.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36.6 g |
| Fat | 4.1 g |
| Fibre | 1.6 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Sodium | 282 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Iron and folate (semolina and enriched flour), thiamin and niacin (yeast and flour), vitamin A (butter).
Steady Morning Energy
Semolina and flour give slow-digesting carbohydrates, so two baghrir with honey butter keep you full through the morning.
Light and Easy to Digest
The pancakes are cooked in a dry pan with no frying oil, and the yeasted batter is soft and spongy — gentle on the stomach at breakfast.
Iron and B Vitamins
Semolina and enriched flour supply iron and folate, and the yeast adds B vitamins, in a small, satisfying portion.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Drinks
Moroccan Mint Tea
Hot, sweet mint tea is the classic partner: its warmth and fresh mint cut through the honey butter and refresh the palate between bites.
Fresh Orange Juice
A small glass of fresh orange juice gives a bright, acidic contrast to the sweet pancakes and helps the body absorb the iron from the semolina.
Sauces
Honey Butter
Melted honey and butter is the whole point of baghrir — the thousand holes are built to soak it up, and every bite tastes of it.
Sides
Soft Cheese
A wedge of soft, mild cheese beside the pancakes adds salt and creaminess against the sweet honey butter.
Complete menu
Start with two warm baghrir and honey butter, add fresh orange segments on the side, and finish with a glass of Moroccan mint tea.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Very Sweet Drinks Right After
Baghrir with honey butter is already sweet, so a large glass of sweetened juice or soda on top adds a lot of sugar at once and can leave you feeling sluggish. Water or unsweetened mint tea is the better match. This is general information, not medical advice.
Eating Them Cold and Stale
Baghrir firms up and loses its soft, spongy texture as it cools, and the holes dry out. Eat them warm, or reheat gently in a dry pan and accept a softer texture. This is general information, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
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