Dombolo / Idombolo
dombolo · idombolo
South African steamed bread dumplings cooked separately or over a stew, producing a soft, yeasted crumb.
About this dish
South African steamed bread dumplings cooked separately or over a stew, producing a soft, yeasted crumb. The recipe here chooses one named variation from that wider tradition; household fillings, shapes and serving styles may differ.
Recipe
South African dombolo in individual ramekins
- 400 g cake or all-purpose flour
- 250 ml lukewarm water
- 5 g instant yeast
- 15 g sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp oil for ramekins
- 1
Use 400 g cake or all-purpose flour; 250 ml lukewarm water; 5 g instant yeast and the listed remaining ingredients. Knead flour, water, yeast, sugar and salt 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and rise until doubled. Use lukewarm water, knead elastic and rise covered until visibly doubled.
- 2
Deflate and divide into 8. Place in greased heatproof ramekins filled no more than halfway; proof 20 minutes. Tuck seams under equal balls, oil molds lightly and leave ample room for growth.
- 3
Set ramekins on a rack in a covered pot with simmering water halfway up their sides. Steam 25-35 minutes, topping up water if needed, until a skewer comes out clean. Keep water outside molds, cover pot and time from steady steam. Top up with boiling water and test a center skewer without wet dough.
- 4
Rest 5 minutes before unmolding. Release steam before handling, loosen gently and unmold warm; return to steaming if center remains raw.
Note
Keep water below the ramekin rims and use heatproof vessels. Dombolo, amadombolo and ujeqe overlap as regional steamed-bread terms; the three rows here specify different cooking formats.