Baking & pastry
Baghrir Pan: Choosing & Caring for the Honeycomb Crepe Surface
Baghrir — the 'thousand-hole' pancake — is one of Morocco's small miracles: a spongy semolina crepe cooked on one side only, its surface erupting into a fine honeycomb of holes that drink up butter and honey. Getting those holes is partly the batter and partly the pan and heat. Here is how to choose a surface that gives you a perfect, evenly pocked baghrir every time, and why they sometimes stubbornly refuse to appear.
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- 7 min
- Guide
- Baking & pastry
- Updated
- 20 July 2026
At a glance
- Baghrir is cooked on one side only — the holes form and set on top as the batter cooks through.
- A flat, evenly heated non-stick or well-seasoned pan gives the most reliable honeycomb.
- The holes depend on a thin, well-risen yeasted batter and steady medium heat as much as the pan.
How baghrir cooks and why the pan matters
Baghrir is poured as a thin, pourable, yeasted semolina batter onto a hot dry pan and cooked on the bottom side only — you never flip it. As the base sets, bubbles of gas rise through the batter and burst at the surface, leaving the fine open honeycomb of holes that defines the pancake and that later soaks up a honey-and-butter syrup. Because it is never turned, the top must set through gentle steady heat rising from below, which makes even, moderate heat and a flat surface essential.
A pan with hot spots cooks some areas faster than others, so the holes form unevenly or the base scorches before the top sets. A warped or uneven base pools the batter to different thicknesses, again spoiling the honeycomb. The ideal is a flat, heavy pan that spreads heat evenly and holds it steady, so every part of the batter rises, bubbles and sets in unison.
Choosing a surface
A good non-stick crepe pan is the easiest reliable choice: baghrir is cooked dry, with no oil, and non-stick lets the delicate pancake release without tearing while giving the even heat the holes need. A well-seasoned cast-iron or steel pan also works and is traditional, but it must be truly non-stick from seasoning and evenly heated, or the first baghrir will weld to it. Many Moroccan cooks use a dedicated small pan reserved for baghrir and msemen.
Size is a matter of taste — small individual baghrir are common, and a pan of around eighteen to twenty-two centimetres suits them, though larger ones are made too. What matters more than size is a flat base and even heat, so favour a heavier pan over a thin one that develops hot spots. If you already own the flat griddle used for msemen, it doubles perfectly for baghrir; our griddle guide covers that shared tool.
- Non-stick crepe pan: easiest, since baghrir is cooked dry with no oil.
- Well-seasoned cast iron or steel: traditional, but must be truly non-stick and even.
- Flat, heavy base: more important than size for an even honeycomb.
Getting the holes and caring for the pan
If the holes will not come, the pan is only half the story. The batter must be thin enough to pour and, crucially, well risen and active with yeast (and often a little baking powder), so there is plenty of gas to bubble up and burst. Blend it smooth, let it rest and froth, and cook over steady medium heat: too cool and the bubbles never form, too hot and the base sets and scorches before they can rise through. The surface should turn matte and fully pocked with no wet shine before you lift the baghrir off.
Cook baghrir dry — no oil in the pan — and keep the heat consistent from one to the next, wiping the pan between batches rather than greasing it. Afterward, clean a non-stick pan gently with no abrasives to protect the coating, and re-season a cast-iron one with a thin film of oil. Keeping a pan reserved for these delicate one-sided pancakes, away from harsh scouring, keeps its surface smooth enough to release them cleanly for years.
Frequently asked questions
Why is baghrir cooked on only one side?
Because the holes form and set on the top surface as the batter cooks through from below, and flipping it would crush them. You pour the thin yeasted batter onto a hot dry pan, and as the base cooks, gas bubbles rise and burst on top to leave the honeycomb, which then soaks up butter and honey. The top must set from the rising heat alone, which is why even, steady heat matters so much.
What kind of pan is best for baghrir?
A flat, evenly heated pan is essential, and a good non-stick crepe pan is the easiest reliable choice because baghrir is cooked dry with no oil and releases without tearing. A well-seasoned cast-iron or steel pan is traditional and works too, provided it is genuinely non-stick and free of hot spots. Favour a heavier flat pan over a thin one that heats unevenly.
Why won't my baghrir form holes?
Usually the batter, the heat, or both. The batter must be thin and well risen with active yeast so there is enough gas to bubble up and burst — under-proved or too-thick batter gives few holes. The heat must be steady and moderate: too cool and no bubbles form, too hot and the base scorches before they rise. An uneven pan with hot spots also gives patchy holes.
Should I grease the pan for baghrir?
No — baghrir is cooked on a dry pan with no oil, which is part of why a non-stick or well-seasoned surface matters. Grease interferes with how the batter sets and the holes form. Wipe the pan between batches to keep it clean and keep the heat consistent from one pancake to the next, rather than adding fat. Save the butter and honey for serving.