Slow Rise Pot Bread
History brought back to life! Try this traditional South African pot bread next time you go camping or have a braai at home. Bread made without yeast is simply not as good as bread that is made with yeast and left to rise slowly. This pot bread requires no kneading and is dead easy to mix. Measure all the dry ingredients at home, except the yeast, and mix the bread on site. If you have time for a slow rise, mix with cold water, otherwise to speed up the rising, mix with lukewarm water.- Serves: 8
- Recipe Category: Baking, Bread, Traditional homegrown south african recipes
- Products in this recipe:
You Will Need:
Ina’s Tip
To give the bread the complex flavour of slow rising, replace ½ cup of the water with beer and add 1 T (15 ml) of vinegar.
Guide to Potjie sizes:
- Size 1 = 2 persons
- Size 2 = 4 persons
- Size 3 = 6 persons
- Size 4 = 8 persons
Method:
Grease the inside and lid inner of a rectangular cast iron bread pot (2.8 - 3 liter capacity) or a flat-bottomed black iron pot with oil and spray with a non-stick spray.
Combine all the dry ingredients with the instant yeast. Make a well in the flour.
Mix the egg, water and oil together and add to dry ingredients. Stir with a strong wooden spoon to form a wet dough. Pour the dough into the oiled pan/pot and cover with a lid.
Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size but not all the way to the top of the pan - it will take anything from 1 - 2 hours depending on the ambient temperature.
Bake with lid on over a slow fire with some extra coals on the lid to brown the top of the bread, or bake in the oven at 190 °C for 1 hour. It also works well on a Weber braai with the lid closed.
Variations
Add ½ cup (125 ml) grated cheese and a 400 g tin sweet corn to the dough when mixing. Reduce the water by ½ cup (125 ml) and fry spoonfuls of the risen mixture in deep oil for vetkoek. To obtain the firmer dough required for kneading and shaping roosterkoek, griddle cakes or stick bread, reduce the water in the recipe to about 325 ml instead of 500 ml. Use beer in place of the water for a malty flavour. For a sweeter bread add ½ cup (125 ml) raisins.
Slow Rise Pot Bread
History brought back to life! Try this traditional South African pot bread next time you go camping or have a braai at home. Bread made without yeast is simply not as good as bread that is made with yeast and left to rise slowly. This pot bread requires no kneading and is dead easy to mix. Measure all the dry ingredients at home, except the yeast, and mix the bread on site. If you have time for a slow rise, mix with cold water, otherwise to speed up the rising, mix with lukewarm water.
- Serves: 8
- Recipe Category: Baking, bread, traditional homegrown south african recipes
- Products in this recipe:
You Will Need:
Method:
Grease the inside and lid inner of a rectangular cast iron bread pot (2.8 - 3 liter capacity) or a flat-bottomed black iron pot with oil and spray with a non-stick spray.
Combine all the dry ingredients with the instant yeast. Make a well in the flour.
Mix the egg, water and oil together and add to dry ingredients. Stir with a strong wooden spoon to form a wet dough. Pour the dough into the oiled pan/pot and cover with a lid.
Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size but not all the way to the top of the pan - it will take anything from 1 - 2 hours depending on the ambient temperature.
Bake with lid on over a slow fire with some extra coals on the lid to brown the top of the bread, or bake in the oven at 190 °C for 1 hour. It also works well on a Weber braai with the lid closed.
Variations
Add ½ cup (125 ml) grated cheese and a 400 g tin sweet corn to the dough when mixing. Reduce the water by ½ cup (125 ml) and fry spoonfuls of the risen mixture in deep oil for vetkoek. To obtain the firmer dough required for kneading and shaping roosterkoek, griddle cakes or stick bread, reduce the water in the recipe to about 325 ml instead of 500 ml. Use beer in place of the water for a malty flavour. For a sweeter bread add ½ cup (125 ml) raisins.