🥔 SIDE
Muufo (Somali Corn Flatbread)
A soft, thick flatbread of white corn flour and wheat flour, briefly risen and cooked in a covered pan until golden underneath, torn to eat with stews.
Somali · easy · serves 6
prep 15 min · cook 35 min · plus 1 h hands-off time
~338 cal · 9g protein · 67g carbs · 3g fat · 2g fiber · 2g sugars · 0g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Muufo is a Somali corn flatbread, traditionally slapped onto the hot inside wall of a tinaar, a clay oven like a tandoor, which is why it is sometimes called muufo tinaar. The name itself is thought to come from the Arabic words for that oven. In the southern port of Brava it is known as hurried bread, because unlike the Somali breads it can be baked as soon as it is mixed.
It is made from white corn flour mixed with some wheat flour, a little sugar and salt and water, into a soft, sticky dough. Recipes differ on the leavening: many use a little yeast and an hour's rise for a softer, lighter bread, some use baking powder instead. At home it is cooked in a heavy pan with a lid, the dough pressed out with wet fingers so it keeps the dimples of the cook's fingertips.
Muufo is torn and eaten with stews and soups, often with a banana on the side. A favourite way to finish it is to break it into small pieces, sprinkle with sugar, drizzle with or sesame oil and soak it in hot black tea.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
- 2 cups (300 g) fine white corn flour (maize flour)
- 1 1/2 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- about 2 cups (480 ml) warm water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for the pan, optional
Instructions
- 1Mix the corn flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl. Stir in the warm water to make a soft, thick, sticky dough, adding a splash more if it is stiff.
- 2Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until puffy.
- 3Heat a heavy frying pan with a lid over medium heat and wipe it very lightly with oil, or leave it dry. With wet hands, take a fistful of dough, pat it into a round about 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) thick in the pan and press dimples all over the top with your fingertips.✎ Chef’s noteKeep a bowl of water beside you and wet your hands before each bread. The dough is too sticky to shape any other way.
- 4Cover and cook for about 3 minutes until the underside is golden and the top has set, then turn and cook uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- 5Keep the cooked breads wrapped in a cloth and serve warm, torn, with a stew.
Somali home tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Mogadishu. Mogadishu turns lunch into bariis iskukaris, rice perfumed with the spice mix xawaash and cooked with goat or camel. Somali cooking shows Indian Ocean trade in cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon, alongside sambusa pastries and banana served beside the rice.
🗺️
Somalia. The seasoning that ties Somali cooking together is xawaash, a blend of cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon and more, whose name and form came from Yemeni hawa'ij across the water. Canjeero, also called laxoox, is the fermented sourdough pancake eaten at breakfast, a lighter cousin of Ethiopian injera made mainly from sorghum or a flour mix.
🌍
Africa. Africa's fifty-four nations hold cuisines as different as Morocco's slow-cooked tagines and South Africa's open-fire braai, yet shared threads run through them: ancient grains like millet, sorghum, and teff; stews thickened with groundnut, okra, or palm; and fiery condiments from Tunisian harissa to Ethiopian berbere. Staple starches, fufu, injera, ugali, couscous, anchor communal meals often eaten by hand from a shared dish, where hospitality is a point of honor.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Somalia
Bariis IskukarisFragrant basmati rice cooked with xawaash spice, caramelized onions, and raisins, Somalia’s festive celebration rice.
CanjeeroA thin, spongy fermented pancake (laxoox) eaten with a drizzle of sesame oil, sugar, or stew.
SuqaarSmall cubes of meat sautéed with potato, peppers, and Somali xawaash spice, a quick everyday dish.
Browse all Somalia recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Skillet or frying pan.
Storing it: Best the day it is made. Wrap well and refresh in a warm oven, or freeze and reheat straight from frozen.
Make it a Somalia meal
Shaah SomaliDrink
XalwoDessert
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Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Muufo (Somali Corn Flatbread)?
A soft, thick flatbread of white corn flour and wheat flour, briefly risen and cooked in a covered pan until golden underneath, torn to eat with stews.
Where does Muufo (Somali Corn Flatbread) come from?
Muufo (Somali Corn Flatbread) is a Somali dish from Mogadishu, Somalia.
Can Muufo (Somali Corn Flatbread) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Muufo (Somali Corn Flatbread) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Muufo (Somali Corn Flatbread) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Muufo (Somali Corn Flatbread) take to make?
About 1 h 50 min in all: 15 minutes prep and 35 minutes cooking, plus 1 h of hands-off waiting the method needs, serving 6.
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