Steamed bread traditionally was made in many African countries because there were no ovens in the rural areas. Bread dough was placed in a container inside a big pot of water and steamed for approximately two hours.
Not having an oven, and no space to make an open fire is no deterrent for city dwellers.
Our housekeeper Cynthia now has an oven but making steamed bread, or Ujeqe, is so steeped in her culture, and so delicious as well, that she still makes it.
Her Gogo (Grandma) also used to make steamed bread over a fire in their rural family homestead, but when her own mother moved to the city to find work, Ujeqe was steamed inside a plastic shopping bag - yes you heard right - in a deep pot of water on a primus stove.
Plastic shopping bags are still used by city dwellers for steaming Ujeqe.
We know that oven-baked bread creates a crusty loaf, but steaming bread dough gives it a soft, glossy, and thin crust with an airy but firm texture inside, really delicious.
Cynthia is a very kind and happy soul, very intuitive as well, and knows just what a tough year-end and start to the new year it has been for us.
When she arrived at work on Thursday, she wanted to spoil us and make Ujeqe, and soon had bread dough ingredients out - white and brown flour, salt, yeast, lukewarm water, and sugar. Ujeqe is a slightly sweet bread, but knowing hubby is a diabetic, she used a little less sugar than normal.
She kneaded the dough till it was smooth and elastic, covered the bowl, and left the dough to rise till double in size.
I was not too keen on the idea of a plastic bag, although she's used that before; no difference to the flavour, but I personally don't think using a plastic bag is a healthy way of steaming anything!
I have a steaming bowl that came with my AMC pots which I bought around 40 years ago - yes they really last a lifetime - so Cyntia used that for the Ujeqe, buttering it well so it would not stick.
It amazes me that the bread crust would turn a light brown just from steaming. This steamed bread's crust is soft and easy to slice.
Now for the easiest sandwich ever - I made spicy beans by frying onions in jeera seeds, adding a can of broad beans and baked beans, and lastly turmeric and a medium hot masala.
My lazy spicy beans were going to be the sandwich filling; or rather the topping, and it was left totally naked, with nothing to cover it.
This was a deliciously spicy and saucy sandwich, but there was enough Ujeqe left over to mop up the sauce.
We are truly blessed to have a special employee like Cynthia who has become part of the family - a gift from heaven I believe!
She would not take any of the bread home, it was her gift of love to us!
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