This story actually started last night. In an attempt to evade all things oily, I looked up a recipe for oven baked mandazi and dared to try it out. The recipe said to mix everything up in a bowl and knead until soft. There was nothing about dissolving yeast in water. I should have known better. Attempt 1 was a flop, literally. The dough did not rise. I was sad.
Round 2: I kneaded the dough again and prayed. I had already waited for an hour. I contemplated putting it in the microwave for a few seconds but thought better of it. Eventually, it worked out. I let it rise overnight and baked in the morning. Here's what we had at breakfast.
In my humble opinion, I think this should be how the recipe goes:
- Mix 1 cup of warm water with 1 tbsp of instant yeast. Leave for 5 mins.
- Add 3/4 tsp of spice [most people recommend cardamom. I used 1/4 cinnamon, 1/4 ginger and 1/4 mixed spice].
- Add 1 beaten egg, 4 tbsp oil [or melted butter] and 7tbsp sugar.
- Add 2 tbsp milk powder [or dessicated coconut if you prefer] then 2 cups of all purpose baking flour.
- Knead until soft and not so sticky. Add more warm water if needed.
- Cover and leave to rest for 1-2 hours, till it doubles in size.
- Divide dough into 4. Roll out 1 piece into circle and cut into quarters. Place quarters on greased baking tray [or use baking paper, so much easier].
- Do the same for rest of the dough.
- Cover. Leave to rest for 45 mins.
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Bake for 15 mins.
I use gas to bake and don't have gas marks or temperature scales on my cooker. So I set to lowest heat and kept monitoring. It took about 20 mins to bake. This makes a lot more sense than 'mix it all in a bowl and knead'!
Speaking of humble, we had a random conversation at lunch about tithe that led to a bible search that led to the discovery of Deutoronomy 14:22-29
Round 2: I kneaded the dough again and prayed. I had already waited for an hour. I contemplated putting it in the microwave for a few seconds but thought better of it. Eventually, it worked out. I let it rise overnight and baked in the morning. Here's what we had at breakfast.
In my humble opinion, I think this should be how the recipe goes:
- Mix 1 cup of warm water with 1 tbsp of instant yeast. Leave for 5 mins.
- Add 3/4 tsp of spice [most people recommend cardamom. I used 1/4 cinnamon, 1/4 ginger and 1/4 mixed spice].
- Add 1 beaten egg, 4 tbsp oil [or melted butter] and 7tbsp sugar.
- Add 2 tbsp milk powder [or dessicated coconut if you prefer] then 2 cups of all purpose baking flour.
- Knead until soft and not so sticky. Add more warm water if needed.
- Cover and leave to rest for 1-2 hours, till it doubles in size.
- Divide dough into 4. Roll out 1 piece into circle and cut into quarters. Place quarters on greased baking tray [or use baking paper, so much easier].
- Do the same for rest of the dough.
- Cover. Leave to rest for 45 mins.
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Bake for 15 mins.
I use gas to bake and don't have gas marks or temperature scales on my cooker. So I set to lowest heat and kept monitoring. It took about 20 mins to bake. This makes a lot more sense than 'mix it all in a bowl and knead'!
Speaking of humble, we had a random conversation at lunch about tithe that led to a bible search that led to the discovery of Deutoronomy 14:22-29
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.
But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.
And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own. At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
So tithe is meant to be consumed in a feast at the end of every year? And every three years we're to collect that year's tithe and give it to those with no inheritance [priests, foreigners, fatherless and widows]? Wait. Priests are not expected to have an inheritance? I.e. no business ventures or hummers or million dollar mansions? What? What about all those sermons about giving the Lord His 10%? Then I stumbled upon this sermon on giving in the church. Apparently, contrary to popular teaching, tithing dain't mean God owes you nutin'. All of y'all chanting Malachi 3:10, what's up? We are to give in response to God's goodness. We should not give and expect God to pay us back for our goodness. I'm tithing at the end of the year. Party at my house! Whoop whoop!
And speaking of lunch and parties, we've discovered a new Thai place in Bukoto, one of the 4 Thai places in Uganda [1 is in Entebbe so just 3 in Kampala]. And they have take out. But they charged us for extra ice. Anywho, I had coconut milk-infused food. The husband says he wants to learn how to cook Thai food. I am glad.
And speaking of lunch and parties, we've discovered a new Thai place in Bukoto, one of the 4 Thai places in Uganda [1 is in Entebbe so just 3 in Kampala]. And they have take out. But they charged us for extra ice. Anywho, I had coconut milk-infused food. The husband says he wants to learn how to cook Thai food. I am glad.
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