November 17, 2023

Fa’apapa

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Fa’apapa

(Samoan Coconut Bread)

November 17: National Homemade Bread Day

Islander was just in elementary school when her cousin Roxanne got engaged to Billy T. He is of Samoan-German descent and was a baseball player in Hawaii. As a little girl, Islander enjoyed all the engagement festivities leading up to the wedding, with many opportunities for the ‘ohana (family) to gather and prepare for the upcoming nuptials. Food was always featured at the get-togethers and it was one of the first times Islander got to eat Samoan and Polynesian cuisine (not just at the luau). Coconut bread was commonly served, as it was an affordable and easy side staple to make. It was also a favorite among the keiki (children) because of its simple sweetness.  

It has been decades since Islander ate Samoan food. So National Homemade Bread Day was a good excuse to make fa’apapa that she remembered nibbling on as a kid. We made it with fresh banana leaves. But it can also be made with the more readily available baking/parchment paper. La manuia le tausamiga.

Recipe

(Adapted from TheCoconet.TV)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour, all purpose
  • 1/3 cup sugar, granulated white
  • 1 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • ¾ cup canned coconut milk
  • Butter 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and unsweetened coconut flakes. Stir in the coconut milk. Mix well until a sticky dough is formed.

Separate the dough into two halves. Generously butter one side of a sheet of parchment paper that is large enough to wrap the dough. Place the dough in the middle of the parchment paper. Shape into a loaf about an inch thick and 2 ½ inches wide. Fold down the top of the paper loosely to cover the dough and tuck the sides underneath. Repeat for the other dough. Alternatively, butter a portion of a clean banana leaf and wrap around the dough.

Place both wrapped loaves on a baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the parchment paper to keep the inside of the bread moist. If using banana leaves, unwrap carefully and put the loaf back in the oven to brown for another 5-10 minutes. Slice the loaves and serve with extra butter.

Notes

  • Samoan coconut bread is traditionally wrapped in banana or taro leaves and steamed in an umu, an above-ground oven heated with hot volcanic rocks.
  • We preferred the slight tropical taste from the banana leaf wrapper.
  • Store leftover bread slices in an airtight container. Reheat in a toaster for a little coconut-crunch.
  • Search our blog for other bread recipes.

 

November 17, 2023

Corn and Rice Bread

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Corn and Rice Bread

November 17: National Homemade Bread Day

Cornbread is a staple in the south and southwest of the United States. We have eaten and baked different variations of cornbread since we have lived in Oklahoma and Texas. But as we “cook our way through the calendar/countries,” we wanted to try a cornbread recipe from Angola. This one has rice in the mixture, which is a good way to use up any leftover grains, but it bakes up subtly in this cornbread. Instead of American-style cornbread, change it up on National Homemade Bread Day and make African-inspired corn and rice bread from Angola. 

Recipe
(Adapted from Edible U.N.)

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups ground white cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons red palm oil
  • ½ cups milk
  • 1 cup cooked rice

Directions

In a bowl, sift together the cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a larger bowl, beat the eggs with the red palm oil.

Stir in the milk and rice. To this mixture, add the dry ingredients. Mix well until mushy but moist.

Spread the mixture into a well-greased baking pan (we used 10×10 inches but a 9×13-inch pan works well, too). Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes, testing for doneness. Remove from the oven. Cool then cut into squares. 

Notes

  • Serve this corn and rice bread with Angola chicken stew, muamba de galinha, as it is especially good for sopping up the bright broth. We bought red palm oil for our African cooking so this recipe also makes use of it.
  • Search our blog for other homemade bread recipes.

 

November 17, 2021

Semolina Sesame Bread

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Khobz el Dar

(Algerian Semolina Sesame Bread)

November 17: National Homemade Bread Day

Although we mostly rely on our trusty bread machine, we sometimes try to make bread from scratch just to challenge ourselves. But sometimes thinking about all that proofing, kneading and rising ruins the mood and we get super lazy.

Then we found online a pretty picture of this Algerian semolina sesame bread and wanted to try it because the directions were surprisingly simple. Even our first effort for making semolina bread turned out looking like it came from a bakery!

Those who do not feel as experienced in making homemade bread can challenge themselves with this semolina bread recipe for National Homemade Bread Day.

Recipe
(Adapted from All Recipes)

Ingredients

• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons semolina flour
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, divided use
• 1 tablespoon sugar, granulated white
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, divided use
• 1 cup milk, lukewarm
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons or more
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the semolina flour, 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds, sugar and yeast.

Add salt, oil, 1 whole egg and 1 egg white (save the 1 egg yolk for the egg wash). Stir in lukewarm milk. A liquid dough should form.

Cover the bowl and let stand at room temperature until frothy (about 1 hour). Uncover the bowl and stir in the 2 ¾ cup flour and mix until a sticky dough forms. Cover again and let rest for about half an hour.

Uncover the bowl and sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of flour (or more as needed). Mix the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and shape into a round loaf. Cover loosely with a cotton towel and let rise in a warm place for at least another hour or until doubled in size.

Beat the remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water to make an egg wash. Brush this over the round loaf. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Cool slightly and slice.

Notes

• Smother this fresh semolina bread with homemade butter.

• Search our blog for more homemade bread recipes (both by hand or by machine).

 

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