Soft, fluffy and made for soaking up every last drop of gravy, dombolo is a South African favourite for good reason. Also known as steamed bread, this comforting staple is traditionally served alongside hearty stews, curries and other saucy dishes. This easy dombolo recipe makes a beautifully tender loaf with a soft, crustless texture – perfect for mopping up a rich sauce or enjoying warm with butter and apricot jam.
Steamed Bread Recipe | Dombolo
Steamed bread’s lack of a crust makes it an excellent choice for drizzling soups and stews on top of it. This dish is best served hot with a generous helping of butter and a drizzle of apricot jam. Here’s a super steamed bread recipe to follow.
Ingredients
- 1 kg cake flour, plus extra for dusting
- 10 g of dry yeast
- 2 and a half tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons of salt
- 2 and a half tablespoons of brown sugar
- 3 and a half cups mildly warm (lukewarm) water
- 60g or 4 tablespoons of margarine
Instructions
1. Mix together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the margarine and use your fingers to work it into the flour. Then add the yeast.
2. Mix the flour with enough lukewarm water to make a soft dough. If you need to, add about 20 to 30 ml more water. The dough shouldn’t be too hard.
3. Mix the dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Cover with a greased plastic wrap and set aside for 5 minutes.
4. Roll the dough into a round ball and place it in a large, greased enamel dish. Divide the dough in half, shape it into two rounds, and place them in two greased enamel dishes to make two medium Steam bread / Dombolo.
5. Cover with greased plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in volume.
6. Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan about a third of the way with water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Check that the enamel dish fits into the saucepan.
7. Place the enamel dish in the prepared boiling water once the dough has risen in it. Make sure the top is dry before covering it with the lid. Steam for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender. If you lift the lid while the dough is steaming, it will collapse.
8. Carefully remove the cooked Steam bread / Dombolo from the saucepan and place it on a cooling rack. Allow for a 5-minute cooling period.
9. Using a knife, loosen the sides and transfer the cake to a cooling rack to finish cooling down. Before slicing, let it cool.
Also See: Zola Nene’s pork stew with dombolo
By Nelson Kalula for Getaway Magazine
Feature Image: Pexels
