Zanzibar Sesame Bread ~ Mkate Wa Ufuta
Mkate Wa Ufuta. Say that three times fast. Actually, just say Zanzibar sesame bread, click your heels, and with barely any effort and just a few minutes you can make this simple, indulgent, versatile flatbread made from ingredients we bet you already have in your pantry.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk, plus more as needed
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup mild olive oil or vegetable oil
- 3 to 4 tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted or untoasted)
Instructions
- Stir in the coconut milk and egg just until combined and knead everything in the bowl or turn it onto a lightly floured work surface. At first the ingredients will be a shaggy mess but eventually a smooth dough will form if you use a lot of strength, usually after 5 to 7 minutes. The dough will be dense and firm rather than spongy and soft. If it seems impossibly dry, add another tablespoon coconut milk as you knead. (Alternatively, you can make the dough in your stand mixer and knead it hands-free for about the same amount of time.)
- Cover the bowl containing the dough with a damp kitchen towel and place it in a warm place to rest for 30 to 60 minutes. The dough will rise slightly and become puffier and softer but it won’t necessarily double in size as we’re accustomed to with most yeasted bread doughs. It’s really more about the resting than the rising.
☞ TESTER TIP: If you want slightly less dense bread, then let the dough rest in a very warm place, such as an oven with the pilot light on, and wait for the dough to nearly double in size.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls. Pat each ball or slap it between the palms of your hands to form a round shape about 6 1/2 inches wide and between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Place the dough rounds on your work surface, rub the top side of each dough round fairly generously with oil, and sprinkle each with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, being certain to gently press the seeds into the dough.
- Heat a large saute pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place a dough round in the skillet, sesame side down, and cook until the top side puffs ever so slightly and the underside turns golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. It may be necessary to reduce the heat to medium-low to find the sweet spot where the bread cooks through but doesn’t become too brown.
- Drizzle the top of the dough with oil, rub it over the surface, sprinkle with some sesame seeds and a little salt, and then flip the dough. Cook until the other side is lightly browned and cooked in the middle, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Transfer the cooked bread to a plate, carefully wipe out the pan with paper towels, and repeat with the remaining dough. (Be certain to wipe out the pan after each bread to remove any lost sesame seeds and prevent them from burning.)
- Serve the bread warm—preferably straight from the skillet—whether alone, slathered with butter, dipped in pan juices, or dunked into soup, stew, or curry.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 602mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g