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Defo dabo (Ethiopian festive pot bread)
Defo dabo: a tall round spiced wheat loaf baked slowly in a leaf-lined pot
For Genna (Christmas), Fasika (Easter), weddings and christenings, cooks in Gondar and Gojjam bake defo dabo: a huge, tall round loaf whose dough is wrapped in enset or banana leaves and baked slowly in a heavy covered pot, traditionally with coals above and below. The leaves leave a faint green aroma and a pale, soft crust, and the crumb is fine and close, scented with black cumin, korerima and a little niter kibbeh. On feast days the loaf is blessed and cut before it is shared out. At home a cast-iron casserole in the oven does the job; allow about 2 hours of rising on top of the times given. Do not cut it hot: the crumb is still setting and turns gummy. Chef's tip: bake until the inside reads 94 °C on a probe thermometer; this dense loaf can look brown long before the centre is cooked.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 ¼ lb strong white bread flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp nigella seedstikur azmud
- ½ tsp ground korerimaor ground green cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground turmericfor a warm colour
- 3 tbsp niter kibbehmelted; see our recipe, or use vegetable oil
- 2 ½ cups lukewarm waterapproximately
For the pot
- 3 banana leavesor baking paper; softened over a flame or in hot water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 2 ¼ lb strong white bread flour, ⅓ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp nigella seeds, ½ tsp ground korerima and ¼ tsp ground turmeric in a large bowl.
Step 2: Add 3 tbsp niter kibbeh and most of 2 ½ cups lukewarm water and mix to a shaggy dough. Add the rest of the water if dry flour remains; the dough should be soft and slightly tacky.
Step 3: Knead on the worktop for 12 minutes, or 8 minutes in a mixer, until smooth and elastic and a small piece stretches thin without tearing.
12 minStep 4: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.
60 minStep 5: Line a 26–28 cm cast-iron casserole with 3 banana leaves, shiny side in, letting them hang over the edge, and brush with 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
Step 6: Knock back the dough, shape into a tight round ball and set it in the pot. Fold the leaves over the top, cover with the lid and leave for 45–60 minutes until risen by half again. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350°F (fan 325°F).
50 minStep 7: Bake with the lid on for 50 minutes, then remove the lid, open the leaves and bake for 20–25 minutes more until golden on top and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 201°F in the centre.
72 minStep 8: Lift out, peel off the leaves and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. Wrapped, it keeps for 3 days, or freeze in wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does defo dabo (Ethiopian festive pot bread) take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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