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Alkubus
Steamed wheat bread
Alkubus: soft steamed Hausa wheat breads from Northern Nigeria
In Kano, Katsina and Sokoto, alkubus is a breakfast bread you steam rather than bake: a soft yeasted wheat dough set in small cups or tins over boiling water until it puffs into fluffy, slightly sticky domes. It is eaten warm, pulled apart and dipped into groundnut oil with yaji, the peanut and chilli spice mix, or with a bowl of miyan taushe or other soup. The common mistake is lifting the lid during steaming; the rush of cold air makes the breads sink and turn dense. Yaji contains peanuts. Chef's tip: wrap the pot lid in a tea towel so condensation can't drip back and leave wet craters on the tops.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 14 oz plain flour
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast1 sachet
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp groundnut oilplus extra for the cups
To serve
- 4 tbsp groundnut oil
- 2 tbsp yaji spicepeanut and chilli spice mix
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Add 1 cup warm water and 2 tbsp groundnut oil and mix into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Step 2: Knead for 8 minutes until smooth and springy. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 3: Oil 6 small heatproof cups, ramekins or small tins well. Knock back the dough, divide into 6 and put a ball in each; they should be half full.
Step 4: Cover and leave for 15 minutes, until puffed by about half again. Meanwhile bring 5 cm of water to the boil in a wide pan fitted with a steamer rack or trivet.
15 minStep 5: Set the cups on the rack, cover with a towel-wrapped lid and steam over a steady medium-high heat for 20 minutes without lifting the lid, until risen, set and springy, and a skewer comes out clean.
20 minStep 6: Turn out and serve warm with 4 tbsp groundnut oil mixed with 2 tbsp yaji spice for dipping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does alkubus take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 75 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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