Potbrood/Pot Bread

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Potbrood/Pot Bread 

Potbrood is enjoying a popular revival and is excellent served at a braai or with potjiekos.

In days gone by, most bread was baked in an outside oven or Dutch oven made of mud or bricks.

On Trek, unless a convenient anthill could be excavated and transformed into a makeshift oven, bread was baked in a heavy cast-iron three-legged pot, an essential piece of camp equipment. This was later replaced by a heavy flat-bottomed pot with straight sides, because it was easier to turn out the bread.

If you cannot dig a hole to bury the pot in coals, it can be placed on a special cast-iron tripod or a few bricks. Make sure the pot has a flat bottom and straight sides and that the inside surface of the pot is smooth. The cast-iron pot for potbrood should be treated prior to baking.

  • Potbrood dough is the same as that for other yeast breads.
  • After mixing, the dough is kneaded for about 10 minutes or until the dough leaves the sides of the mixing bowl.

  • Leave the dough in a warm place to rise until double in size.

  • Knock back and shape dough into a ball.

  • Place in a greased, flat-bottomed cast-iron pot and flatten with the hands, making sure the dough fills only ⅓ of the pot.

  • Cover with lid and leave in a warm place until double in bulk.

  • Brush dough with melted butter, replace lid and position pot in a hole on top of a few coals. Place more coals on top of the lid and leave to bake for 45 minutes to l hour until crisply baked.

Note: The dough can be prepared in advance and frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or thaw at room temperature. Once thawed, knock back and leave to rise a second time.

Category: South African Cuisine

Subcategory: Traditional

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