What you’ll need:
1kg white wheat flour
10g dry yeast
20ml salt
10ml sugar
20g butter
625ml water (at about 45 degrees Celsius)
A cast iron, flat bottomed pot and a little bit of space to make a fire
This is what you’ll need to do:
- Make a fire to get your coals ready
- Mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast thoroughly
- Rub the butter into the mixture with your fingers
- Add the water and knead the dough until it is soft and elastic
- Put the dough on a surface sprinkled with flour and round it into a ball
- Cover it with cling wrap and a thick cloth
- Take care not to let the dough cool off and put it in a warm place
- After 30 minutes knead your bread again for a short while.
- Grease your pot with butter, heat it slightly and place the dough inside it
- Remember that the dough is going to rise so at the beginning of the process your pot should not be more than half full
- Put the lid on the pot and place the pot on the hot coals (or on your braai (bbq) grid depending on heat) that you’ve prepared
- Put some of the coals on top of the lid too so that there is an even heat around the bread
- After approximately 40 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of your pot), your bread should be golden brown on top and ready to come off the coals.
- To test this, knock the pot, if it sounds hollow, it is done. You can also test with a knife that the bread is baked all the way through.
- Tip the bread out of the pot. If it does not come out easily, leave it for a few minutes to cool.
- Leave the bread to stand for a little while to cool
- If you prefer to have your bread hot, keep it in the pot close to the fire
This delicious bread is best served with a generous smearing of butter and a good traditional South African “potjie” (cast-iron pot stew) or “braai” (bbq)…
