Meloui Pancakes: serve them with traditional Moroccan syrup

If you fancy trying a different type of pancake, why not give these round Moroccan meloui pancakes a go?

They are made with a mixture of semolina and white flour, then they are flattened and rolled up into coils before frying.

They are a bit fiddly to make, but all you need is time and patience. They taste wonderful when served with a traditional Moroccan syrup made of melted butter mixed with runny honey.

Instructions

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 needed to make a dough that is soft and easy to knead – it shouldn't be sticky though. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour one tablespoon at a time and knead in.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes or in a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and springy.

To fold the Meloui:

This part may get messy!

Divide the dough into balls about the size of small plums.

Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

Take a ball of dough and flatten it on a large, oiled work surface. Oil your hands and then stretch and flatten the dough as much as possible to make a large rectangle.

Dot the dough with butter and sprinkle with a little semolina.

Fold the dough into thirds – fold the top third down into the center, and then fold the bottom up to cover the first fold.

Dot the strip of dough with more butter, sprinkle on a little more semolina and then fold again into thirds. You'll be left with a very thin strip of dough.

Flatten the dough to remove any air bubbles, sprinkle it with semolina, and roll it up into a coil.

Pinch the loose end of the dough onto the coil to seal it, and stand the roll upright on an oiled tray. Brush the folded dough with yet more oil, cover loosely with plastic wrap and repeat the folding and oiling process with the remaining balls of dough.

To cook the Meloui:

Preheat a pan or griddle over medium heat. Don’t add any oil – there is plenty in the dough already.

Take a coil of dough and flatten with your hands into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Flatten from the center outwards to get a nice spiral effect.

Transfer the flattened dough to the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes, turning several times until the meloui is golden brown and the dough is cooked thoroughly.

Serve the meloui hot from the pan or dip in a syrup made from equal portions of butter and honey (simply heat the butter and honey until hot and bubbly, then pour into a bowl).

Notes:

If you have any cold meloui left over, they can be frozen. Reheat frozen meloui in a frying pan or in a 350 F (180 C) degree oven for a few minutes, until they are just hot enough. Don't leave them in the oven for a long time or they will dry out.