Ujeqe (African Steamed Bread)
Soft, pillowy steamed bread made with just five pantry ingredients. No oven needed. Serve sliced with butter or tear it apart to mop up a potjie or stew. One of South Africa's most comforting breads.
Ujeqe is a Zulu steamed bread with deep roots in South African township cooking. Long before many homes had ovens, pots and steam were the tools of the kitchen, and ujeqe was born from that ingenuity. It is dense, soft and slightly sweet, with a texture entirely its own. You will find it on Sunday lunch tables across KwaZulu-Natal, served alongside umngqusho, stews and braai meat. It is the kind of bread that holds memory in every bite. In a Dubai apartment with no braai and no outdoor space, ujeqe is also wonderfully practical. All you need is a pot, a bowl and a lid.
Ingredients
- 560 g plain flour
- 30 ml sugar
- 5 ml salt
- 10 ml instant yeast
- 375 ml lukewarm water
- oil
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
- Add the lukewarm water and stir to bring together.
- Knead by hand for 8-10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic, adding a little extra flour if it is too sticky.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled 23 cm round Pyrex or heatproof bowl. Cover with a damp cloth.
- Leave to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Half-fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil.
- Remove the cloth and carefully lower the bowl of risen dough into the pot. The water should come halfway up the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce to a low simmer and steam for 1 hour 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- The bread is ready when well risen and springs back when pressed lightly on top.
- Carefully remove the bowl from the pot. Turn the bread out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Slice and serve warm with butter, or alongside a stew or potjie.
Notes
Method
- Mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
- Add lukewarm water and stir to combine.
- Knead by hand for 8-10 minutes until soft and elastic. Add a little extra flour if too sticky.
- Place in a lightly oiled 23 cm round heatproof bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Half-fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil.
- Lower the bowl of risen dough into the pot. Water should reach halfway up the bowl.
- Cover tightly with a lid. Steam on low heat for 1 hour 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
- Bread is ready when risen and springs back when pressed.
- Remove from pot and turn out onto a wire rack. Cool before slicing.
To make individual rolls: shape the risen dough into 6-8 balls, place in oiled ramekins and steam for about 40 minutes.