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| Agege Bread- The NΒΊ1 Nigerian Bread |
Agege bread recipe, yay, at last! Right?
Agege bread is one of the most popular Nigerian bread, known for its soft, stretchy and chewy texture.
Β Β In dadβs bakery, bread was made with chemical dough improvers and preservatives such as (Edc 2000, E-281 &E-202). These chemicals give the bread its unique stretchy texture, but are usually sold in large quantity for industrial use.
Dad is now with the Lord, and mom wasnβt so sure of how to get that chewy feel without confectionery additives. So I had to turn to thefreshloaf and Christineβs recipe where I learnt about βScalded flourβ and βTangzhongβ .
And after trying them, I can assure you that, these are two of the best natural dough enhancers you will ever find.
Not only do they enhance the dough, they also serve as natural preservatives and keep the bread, soft and stretchy forΒ 3 to 4 days.
**click to know more about these dough enhancers**
Update 2019: For this breadΒ here , I made use of the ββ Scalded flourβ method. But in recent times I have been interchanging it with the βTangzhongβ method because it is more dependable , no matter the weather condition (heat or humidity).
βThe picture below are breadrolls made with Tangzhong method-β
Makes one 9 by 4 inch loaf orΒ three 3 by 4 inch(like mine)
Ingredients
For the Main Dough:-
- 350 gr Bread Flour/Plain flour (bread flour makes a more chewy bread)
- 30 gr Bread Flour/Plain flour (for kneading)
- 50 gr Sugar- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 7 gr instant dry Yeast(2 &1/2 teaspoon)
- 140 ml lukewarm Water/Whole Milk, adjust as needed
- 50 gr Butter, at room temperature(cut into smaller pieces)
For the Scalded flour Dough enhancer:-
- 100 gr Bread Flour/Plain flour
- 100 ml boiling water
Tools:
- 2 bowls
- A bread pan
- A plastic dough scraper
Tip for using milk:
β Milk is not added to agege bread, but since it is a homemade bread, you can add a little to make the bread richer and softer, so if youβll like to use powdered milk, dissolve 2 heaping tablespoonful inΒ the 140 ml water used in the recipe.
Β If youβre using evaporated milk(peak milk) add 4 to 5 tablespoonful in 130 ml water.
Β Steps
To prepare the Scalded flour Dough enhancer:
a. Pour all the boiling water into a bowl containing the 100gr bread flour.
b.Β Stir the mixture quickly until well combined, then cover with a lid or cling film and leave to cool to room temperature(takes about 1 hour depending on the weather).
Donβt worry if the dough looks rough, after 1 hour the flour would have absorbed all the water and look smoother.
Tip: the scalded flour is usually left for 12 hours before use, but I always get the same results if I use it after 1 hour.
Β Now to prepare the main dough:
1. Sift the bread flour into a wide bowl. Add the sugar, salt and the instant dry yeast, and mix well.
Tip: if youβre not sure about the potency of your yeast, you can proof/test it by combining the yeast, water and sugar together in a bowl. Leave for 10 minutes or until it starts to foam, form bubbles and look creamy. Then add it to the flour, but if it doesnβt foam, you know the yeast is bad.
2. Now, make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the prepared scalded flour and gradually add the lukewarm water/milk; mix together until you get a slightly sticky dough.(
Let the dough sit for 10 minutes, so that the flour will completely absorb the liquid you used.
3. Then transfer the sticky dough, onto a lightly floured table.
Knead for about 20 minutes, using the βstretch, slap and fold methodβ(in this method the sticky dough is stretched, folded over itself, lifted up and thrown back down onto the tableΒ repeatedly until the dough is less sticky and elastic)β¦ youβll need a scraper to help bring the sticky dough together while kneading.
The dough will be very sticky at first, but keep on kneading, and incorporating as little flour as possible. Too much flour will result in a hard bread. So resist the urge to add more flour.. use the scraper to remove sticky flour from your fingers.
Β 4. Now, knead the butter into the dough for another 20 minutes until well incorporated and you get a soft, smooth and stretchy dough that does not break easily when stretched.
This is surely a lot of work, but one with a benefit.(At this stage youβll notice the difference in the texture of the dough).
Tip: the oil/butter stops the formation of gluten, thatβs why it is added last, after the gluten has been formed.
If you have a dough/ bread machine you can use it. Knead on medium speed for 30 minutes, using the dough hook , until you get a smooth and stretchy dough.
For a food processor, knead forΒ 3 to 5 minutes and check the doughs elasticity every 30 seconds.
5. Form the now elastic dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with a cling film or damp towel and leave to rise until doubled in size(takes about 1 hour or more, depending on the weather).
6.Β After 1 hour, punch down on the risen dough and transfer to the work surface. Divide the dough into small rough balls.
I divided mine into 4 (3 for the loaf pan and 1 for my daughter to practice with).
Then cover the balls with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 10 minutes, while you grease the pan youβll be using.
7. Now shape each of the balls into a long roll and place in the greased pan.
If youβll like to shape it like mine, then using a rolling pin or your hands(because the dough might be a tad bit sticky), roll out each ball into a long oval shape. Join the 2 sides together;
And pinch up the meeting point, then turn over, so that the seam(closure) is facing down; then flatten with the rolling pin and roll up the dough, just as you see in the pictures below.
8. Place the shaped dough into the pan, cover again with the damp cloth or cling film and let it rise again for another 1 hour or until it doubles in size or almost reaching the top of the pan.
9. Preheat the oven for 5 minutes at 180ΒΊCΒ (370ΒΊF).10. Finally brush the risen bread with egg wash(raw egg+2 tablespoon water) or melted butter(to give it glow/shine) and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until done(when it is golden brown).
Take out of the oven, leave to cool a bit and transfer onto a rack.
And now you have a yummy Agege Bread, to enjoy with Ewa Agoyin, Akara or any other meal or beverage of choice.
Please let me know what you think and Iβll be expecting your feedback if you try this recipe π
Also check out our other breadΒ and cake recipes.
Please my bread isnt rise
Author
Hi Olajide, sorry that your bread didnβt rise as expected. This can happen due to several factors.
Make sure your yeast is fresh, use the right water temperature (around 110-115Β°F),
knead the dough properly, allow it to proof in a warm, draft-free place,
and ensure the dough consistency is correct. Additionally, be mindful of
environmental factors like temperature and humidity.
And also check your flourβs freshness .
I hope this helps for your next baking attempt
Hi Lily,
Thanks for the recipe. I have a Kitchenarm bread machine and would like to use it for this recipe. Can you please tell me how to modify it? Specifically, should I use the dough or Knead setting, and when to add the butter and tangzhong?
Thanks again and keep up the great work!
Amazing! This is the best result Iβve ever had with any Agege bread recipe! I used bread improver the first time but the second time I made the loaf just with thangzhong and a longer rise and it turned out even better! I added nutmeg for taste and slightly increased the sugar to 70g as well as using clarified butter for a more buttery taste π and itβs just perfection! I used to own a bakery but have always struggled with sweet breads and this just changed my life π Iβm married into an Igbo family and am German and Greek myself, my mother and sister in law as well as my daughter love this so much! Thank you!!
Author
Thank you so much Carol for your delightful feedback
you truly made my day and I am so glad you tried and enjoyed
the agege bread recipe. It is truly a hit with family and friends.
Hi Lillian,
I had never heard of Agege bread until it appeared as one of my suggested videos on YouTube. I watched the documentary and was intrigued. I did a google search and found your recipe. I followed it exactly, weighing my ingredients. Like some commenters posted, the yudane (scalded dough) was too dry with just 100 ml of water. I added a teaspoon at time until I got the right consistency. In total, I used 140 ml of water. Like you said, baking results depend on many factors including the temperature of your kitchen, the brand of flour you are using, and the weather. I used 11.7% APF from King Arthur. I also mixed it in my bread machine. The bread is definitely worth the 30 minutes of kneading time.
The Agege bread was delicious. Soft, and pillowy and slightly sweet yet able to be used for savory dishes/sandwiches. I expected the loaf to last at least three days, but my family devoured 90% of it within an hour. I just prepared another yudane to make a loaf tomorrow. This time, I will bake it in a covered pullman pan for the traditional rectangular shape.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us. I am exploring your blog and looking forward to trying more of your delicious recipes. Continue the great work.
Author
Thank you so much Audrey for trying out the Agege bread recipe.
I am so glad you nailed it and also enjoyed baking the bread
I canβt wait to hear your feedback on the other recipes
you try out on the blog.
Funny thing my comments arenβt getting posted but I keep updating.
Latest update I learnt a very important lesson today β double is not same. So after a very successful agege yesterday I proceeded to double the recipe today and bake in one big pan. Huge error! At the end of the 30 minutes my beloved bread was rawπ― so I begin searching frantically and discovered I need to modify baking time and temperature when modifying recipe size. At the end of the day, I lowered to about 165 for an additional 20 minutes. It was yum but not yesterdayβs texture but a good different I must admit. Never again sha. If I double I bake in separate pans
Author
Just saw your comments in spam.
Kace, I enjoyed reading through your experiment.
Doubling the ingredients is not the problem,
but the baking time also changes and honestly
some ovens handle large dough better than others.
I realized that my bread donβt bake so good if
I am working with a β doubleβrecipe ingredient and
using a large rectangular pan. So I stick to using two pans.
Honey, thanks so much for your updates, and please let me
know if you try out any more recipes.
So first try was with 100g tangzhong big error got a batter not a dough tasted like buns. Retried with the scalded flour and guys this is perfect exactly like store bought. Jija is great but I prefer this one
Thanks Nky Chukwu gozie gi
Author
Kace, so you are in the scaleded flour team..hehehe
I truly want to convince you to try the tangzhong but
my dear if the scalded flour method works for you, then donβt change it π
and thank you again for your beautiful experiment and insights too.
Dalu Nne
Is there a video of your process? I am more of a visual learner. Thank you in advance!
Author
Yes Lorena, Iβll have it up on the blog soon.
Thank you
After having success with jija I decided to try thisπ wanted to make use of tangzhong instead of scalded flour. I made 100g tangzhong and still followed the recipe. Huge mistake I guess the water is too much so I got a batter rather than a dough and itβs rising as I type. I have baked very sticky dough and it turned out great but never a regular bread batter (my keto bread is in batter form). I then googled and discovered batter bread was a thing so I would report the results of my accident. Next time I do 20g tangzhong so I make use of just 100ml water or what do you advise maβam
Hi,your recipe is great.
What if I want to make bread in large quantity with 25kg flour? Does the recipe change? What quantities of sugar,salt,butter and egg do I add? Do I increase the quantity of preserve and bread conditioner that I use?
Author
Yes kalu, youβll increase all the ingredients for larger production
Hi, pls is it necessary to cover up the bread pan while baking cos am using a local oven. Thanks!
Author
A local oven heats up really fast; donβt cover it for the first 15 minutes,
then after that you cover with a foil paper or the lid of the pan, so that
it doesnβt brown so much or burn before the whole bread is done baking
I had difficulty using this recipe and technique. My dough was too soft. The scaled flour did not look same as above, 100grms flour to 100ml water didnt seem like the right ratio.
I kneaded the dough with my stand mixer for 30mins, 350grams flour 140ml water made the dough very very soft. It was difficult to shape into a loaf. I might have been able to work it if I was experienced at making bread.
I made adjustments for the second attempt, 330grams flour to 100ml milk and 35grams butter. For the scaled flour I added a little more water.
Happy Baking
Author
Hi Marian, the recipe works just as it it written,
but with baking a lot of factors are to be considered.
Humidity, heat ,condition of baking products and a lot more.
I am glad you were able to make adjustments too.
Thanks for the feedback
bread came out great!! The closest I have made that taste similar to the Agege Bread I had in Nigeria.
Author
Thanks for your feedback Sherlley-Ann.
You made my day.
Iβm so glad you tried and enjoyed our Agege bread recipe
and glad to be of help ππ
Hi, can someone tell me where to by in bulk a modern commercial bread baking pan in Lagos. Thank you.
This is the best bread recipe Iβve ever triedβ¦.thanks. Iβll look into other recipes to try
Author
You are welcome Lola I am so glad you tried and enjoyed the agege bread.
Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks for sharing your recipe . Please can you share your recipe for sugarless bread
Author
Youβre welcome MissH. I saw your other comment asking for wheat bread too.
I will have those recipes up as soon as possible
Thanks for checking in.
Hello. Thanks for the recipe. Iβd like some clarification though as I seem to be lost when to incorporate the butter.
Thanks.
Author
Hi Eidar, the butter was added at step 4 of the recipe.
Let me know how the agege bread turned out.
Hi, I know this might be asking too much, but, any advice on how to modify this recipe using a bread maker from start to finish ??
Author
Hello Ife, Iβm here for you hun ? letβs see how we can work it out.
There are different types of bread machine with different features too.
Whatβs yours like?e.g brand and model
And what features(buttons) does it have?
Hi Niky I love what you do keep it up! Pls Iβd like to ask how many cups of flour equals to 350g and 100g for the dough enhancer? Just give them to me in plain English thanks.
Author
About about 2.5 cups and 1 cup approximately.
Hope that is plain English enough dear Emelda π
Hi! I tried this recipe and I love the bread. The only thing is perhaps you need to re-check the quantity of water for the scalded dough and the bread itself. They were both dry and I had to add a lot more. Otherwise, excellent texture and taste! Thank you
Author
Hi Raufikat, thanks for the feedback.
As for the water, the measurement is right.
Did you use the dough enhancer?
If you did, you wonβt need to add more water to your dough.
But I am glad that it all turned out well for you
Thank you for responding! I did use the enhancer, but what is it supposed to feel/look like? Like a thick batter or a stiff dough? Thanks again
Author
It is more like a light but stiff dough and sticky too(I donβt know how best to describe it?)
If yours comes out too tough, you can add about 25ml water to it and let rest for a while before use.
I also like to add that weather(bothe heat and humidity) also affect the flour and the liquid content.
If you find it challenging, I also recommend the βTangzhongβ method, this is easier to work with and gives great results too.
See the bread rolls I made with it here https://www.nigerianfoodtv.com/jija-bread-rolls-nigerian-pull-apart/
Hope this helps.
Excellent! Thank you very much. Iβll try the jija bread and let you know.
Author
Great Raufikat.
I βll be expecting your feedback ?
You dont put milk in agege bread you bomba!!
Author
You Bomba to you too!!?ββοΈ(If thatβs a kind of greeting wherever you live?)
Nigeria for life,did you even read the recipe?
If you had, you would have seen all details there.
Agege bread does not require milk , but most people would be making it at home
and for their beloved family, and might want to add milk for extra richness
Adding milk doesnt take anything away from the recipe.
So feel free to use lukewarm water as indicated in the recipe.
Hello maβam, thanks for your recipe.. Please if I may ask, if I use the dough conditioner you used here, I need not use another preservatives for commercial purpose? Or can I use both instead?
Author
Hello Promise, the dough conditioner acts as a softener and gives the Agege bread that stretchy and soft feel ,
it also keeps the bread fresh for 3 to 4 days, but for commercial purpose,
if you want the bread to remain fresh for longer than that
youβll have to opt for preservatives.
Hi. Tried your scaled dough enhancer.. it didnβt come out like yours..
But I have bread improver powder.. my question is.. how much of the bread improver powder can I substitute for the scalded dough enhancer?
Hope am making sense
Author
Hi Adaeze, sorry you could not get it right.
Did you follow the recipe βas it isβ?
How did yours turn out?
As for the bread improver, you can follow the manufaturers direction,
I think it is always written on the label.
Thanks for your patience in your explanation. I tried mine with your method and it didn't fail me.keep the good job. From USA
Author
Thanks for the feedback ?
Hi. I know this is an old post, but on the 4th item in the recipe pls;- The use of dough machine or food processor, is that in place of the 20 mins hand kneading with butter or is it an additional step after the kneading has been done? Thank you.
Thanks for the recipe have been baking this bread every other day for 2 weeks nowβ¦.
Thanks for the recipe have been baking this bread every other day for 2 weeks nowβ¦.
please its urgent. I want to find out what may be the possible causes for the reduction of my bread's shelf life. They go bad in less than 3days and my customers are seriously complaining. thanks.
Wow! Nice job. Can't wait to try this. But can I use a cake pan cos I don't have any bread pan dat looks like urs.
hi! I love your blog! can I use yeast instead of instant yeast?
Hi, I made this and the bread texture was good but doughy in places and this remained the case when I put it in for longer until it was overcooked. The top of my bread was also firmer than how yours looks. What did I need to do?
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I want to try kind of bakery business in Nigeria. I need bakery equipment, and have nice place to start. I new to this business, can you give me some advice? Can i buy used equipment? There are a lot of used machines on online marketplaces, i want to buy here https://jiji.ng/23-bakery-equipments i find some in βnewβ condition and low price. But is it worth buy used machines?
Thank you for this great recipeβ¦ i was trying so many diffrent once, but urs is far the bestβ¦keep up ur great work..remain blessed :*
I just made this bread.thanks so much.hubby liked it.i used a food processor but i still kneaded on a flat surface.do i still need to do this even with a food processor?Thank you
I tried the sausage and fish roll and it was nice, my hubby loved it and I have to make it every weekend. All thanks to you am getting better at it. Nice on my list is the agege breadβ¦. God bless you for creating this platform
Do you have a printer friendly version of this recipe? My son brought some of this bread home, thanks to a Nigerian friend of his. I googled 'Nigerian bread' and your page showed up first.
hello sis, pls when are we suppose to put the butter because in the mixture it never says we when i should add the butter, will it be together when i put the sugare, yeast or when.
Thank you for your recipe. I made the bread and it tastes like Agege bread but the next day the bread was hard. What can i do so it remains soft and stretchy the following day.Thanks
Wow!!! Thanks for this recipe, my trial came out perfectly.
Hello beauty. Love all your videos. Please can you make a how to bake video to this agege bread. We will really appreciate it thanks
Thank you for this great recipe, can't wait to try it . Just wondering if the same recipe and method can be used for sliced bread. Thank you
Enter your commentβ¦great recipe! only thing I get confused with is the scale of measuring. eg. 300g plain flour, 50g sugar, what's its equivalent in our nigerian cups.
Enter your commentβ¦hi Nky,i made mine n it wonderful,my kids n hubby loves it so much,,may God continually addin more knowledge to u
Made this today and it turned out well. I have tried making bread in the past but this is the first that actually tastes like the store bought bread. God bless you
I'm glad to hear that OmololaThanks for your feddback hun.God bless you too π
Thanks for your recipe Nky. My bread was very delicious
Thanks for your lovely feedback Onyinye π
Hi Nky, can baking powder be used in place of yeast? Thank you
No, only yeast can be used for Nigerian Agege bread.
Keep up the good work!
thanks π
Hello NKY, your recipe is the best that I've come across. I love bread so much n how to make it was just the problem. I've googled how to make it on many occasions, but the day i came across ur recipe all my bread making problem ended. Seriously speaking, you are the BESTβ¦. Weldone. I love you like kilodeοΏ½οΏ½
Aww Mary, thank you so much dear. You made my day.And I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe π
Pls ma, a video for the agege bread will be perfect thank u and God continue to keep you for usβ¦so we can have lot and lot of good way to cook, i must say u made me who i am today when it comes to cooking,i was formally that mummy's little 24 year old who knws how to do nothingβ¦.thanks alot
Thanks for your beautiful comment Damilola, I'm glad to be of help-A video for Agege bread is surely coming up, so stay tuned to our youtub channel hun. http://www.youtube.com/nigerianfoodtv
hi, i like your post and i would like to know more and ask some question. please how can i reach you.Thanks
Hi Ifeoma, feel free to ask your questions here.
hi please i will like to chat with you, its important. How do reach you
just read about your mom. sorry for your loss.Please, how can we get a video for the agege bread
Thanks Vicky, I'm working on the video dear, you'll see it on this page very soon π
I made this today and it was so beautiful and tasted exactly like Agege bread. Was really impressed with it.thanks for the recipe
Hi Nifemi, thanks for your lovely feedback π
I made this today and it was so beautiful and tasted exactly like Agege bread. Was really impressed with it.thanks for the recipe
π
nky your the best.
Thanks David π
Nky I must try this ooh as I am a bread lover. The names of things to buy though! Lol. Please can I get all of the ingredients to use in pAris? Some of the names are strange
Wow i refuse to come here without leaving a comment. Nice looking agege bread.
Thanks hun π
Hey Nky, this is your cousin Ekene, good work your,re doing here.I miss all those loaves your parents used to give us anytime we visit.Miss you too and keep it up, your dad will be very proud of you.
Wow,Ekky it's been like 10yrs, na wa ooo, it's really been ages. Happy to see you again, just got your number from ND, be expecting my call hun, we have a lot of catching up to do π
Sister happy Sunday to May the Almighty Father in heaven continue to bless and favour you on every side and strengthening you at all times.Amen.Love β€ you with the Love of God
Sister happy Sunday to May the Almighty Father in heaven continue to bless and favour you on every side and strengthening you at all times.Amen.Love β€ you with the Love of God
Thank you so much Augustina, God bless you too hun π
Yes o at long last. I am always patient cos I know that your recipes have never failed me.Thanks for this, i will lrtbu know how it goes.
Thanks for your patience Rukky , I'll be expecting a feedback π
Please can you clarify the measurement? Iβm using peak milk cup and regular spoon to measure. Thanks so much