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Agege bread
Agege bread: Lagos's soft, dense, slightly sweet white loaf, made for ewa agoyin and akara
Hawkers carry Agege bread through Lagos traffic on their heads every morning, and the loaf, named after the Agege district where the bakeries made it famous, is the city's breakfast staple. It is nothing like an airy sandwich loaf: the crumb is tight, white, soft and slightly sweet, and it tears in stretchy strands, perfect for scooping up ewa agoyin (mashed beans with dark pepper sauce) or wrapping round akara. Bakeries knead it for a very long time; at home, a stand mixer and a long knead get close. Lagos bakers use margarine and often milk powder, so the loaf is vegetarian rather than vegan. Chef's tip: knead until you can stretch a piece of dough so thin it lets light through without tearing; under-kneading is the mistake that gives a crumbly loaf instead of the classic chewy pull.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb strong white bread flour
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- ⅓ oz instant yeast
- 1 oz milk powder
- 2 ⅛ oz margarinesoftened, or butter
- 2 ¼ cups warm waterabout 38 °C
- 1 tbsp vegetable oilfor the tins
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 2 ¼ lb strong white bread flour, 3 ½ oz sugar, 2 tsp salt, ⅓ oz instant yeast and 1 oz milk powder in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl). Add 2 ⅛ oz margarine and 2 ¼ cups warm water and mix into a shaggy dough.
Step 2: Knead with the dough hook on medium speed for 15 minutes (or 20–25 minutes by hand) until the dough is very smooth and elastic and passes the windowpane test: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through.
15 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Step 4: Brush two 900 g loaf tins with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Knock back the dough, divide in two and roll each piece tightly into a log the length of the tin, pinching the seam underneath.
Step 5: Put the logs in the tins seam side down, cover and leave for 40–50 minutes until the dough rises 2 cm above the rim. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
Step 6: Bake for 30–35 minutes until deep golden on top and the loaves sound hollow when tapped underneath.
35 minStep 7: Turn out onto a rack and cover with a clean tea towel while they cool; this keeps the crust soft, as Agege bread should be. Slice only when cooled, about 1 hour.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does agege bread take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 35 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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