How to make Agege Bread

Agege bread is one of the most popular foods eaten in Nigeria on a daily basis. In many states in Nigeria, Agege bread as it is popularly called is sold by hawkers or bread sellers every morning to office workers, students, entrepreneurs, school children, market women, artisans and business owners. Many individuals have managed to build a mini business empire of their own baking and selling Agege bread to many customers every day.

Agege bread is very popular because it is has a great taste and can be eaten with a variety of other foods. Some market women and artisans in Nigeria such as mechanics, transport workers and cobblers, famously favour Agege bread because they love its taste. Hawkers get Agege bread from the bakeries in large quantities and then resell them with butter to different people in their localities.

The name ‘Agege’ bread originates from a place in Lagos called Agege, and this Agege bread is widely baked, hawked and sold in Lagos. There are many bakeries in different states in Nigeria that make large quantities of Agege bread everyday for commercial purposes. However, preservatives and additives are often added to the bread. This might not be healthy but people still eat the bread. For health related reasons, you can choose to make your own Agege bread at home for yourself, family and friends.

Making Agege bread home

When you make Agege bread at home, you do not need to add those additives or preservatives. This ensures that the Agege bread you are eatimng is good for your health. It is quite easy to make Agege bread at home. You can eat Agege bread with almost anything such as;

• Margarine or butter
• Meat or fish stew
• Jam
• Mayonnaise
• Canned sardine among many others.

Millions of Nigerians eat Agege bread daily because of its peculiar taste. Agege bread is soft, fluffy and has an amazing taste, hence its popularity. So, are you wondering, how you can make your very own Agege bread at home all by yourself? Here is an amazing and easy recipe on how to make Agege bread at your own home.

To make Agege bread, you will need Agege bread ingredients before you can start preparing to bake your bread. You will also need an oven to bake the bread. You can buy these bread ingredients at any local market in your town or city. And you can also get these bread ingredients at a baking ingredients store which are not hard to find in many locations across Nigeria.

Ingredients for Making Agege Bread At Home

Here are the ingredients you need to make Agege bread at home

• 500 grams of bread flour
• 25 grams of butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil
• 40 grams of sugar
• 7 grams of dried yeast
• 280 ml of  warm water
• 1 tablespoon of  salt
• 1 egg

Make sure these ingredients are measured accurately, so the taste of your bread is not affected. You can increase the quantity of these ingredients for Agege bread based on your preference or serving (the number of people who will eat the bread).

How to make Agege Bread

Here is the recipe for making Agege Bread

1. Get a clean, round bowl. Make sure the bowl is dry.
2. Make warm water by mixing 100ml of boiling water and180ml of cold water.
3. Sieve the 500 grams of bread flour into the round bowl.
4. Melt 25 grams of butter.
5. Add the melted butter to 280ml of warm water or milk, depending on your preference in a separate bowl.
6. Add sugar, yeast and salt. Mix all these dry ingredients together in the round bowl containing the bread flour.
7. Stir the melted butter and warm water or milk mixture.
8. Then add the melted butter and warm water or milk mixture into the bowl containing the sugar, yeast, and salt and bread flour mixture. Stir together.
9. Let the dough sit for ten minutes.
10. Put the sticky dough onto a lightly floured plain surface in your kitchen and knead for about five to twenty minutes. You can add more bread flour if you need it. Make sure you do not add too much flour.
11. Knead the dough till it is no longer sticky. The dough must be stretchy, very smooth and soft.
12. Make the dough into a ball.
13. Then, put the dough into a bowl greased with oil to prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl.
14. Cover the round bowl and allow the dough to be doubled in size (twice its size).
15. After about 1hour, transfer the risen dough to the plain surface in your kitchen.
16. Divide the dough into four small balls or more depending on your preference.
17. Cover the round bowl again and set the dough aside to rise for another one hour.
18. Grease the pan or loaf tin with oil.
19. Put the dough in the loaf tin or pan.
20. Preheat the oven at 200 Celsius or 392 Fahrenheit.
21. Cover with a kitchen towel or you can use a big plastic or polythene bag to cover the dough.
22. Leave the dough in the pan or loaf tin till the dough fills the size of the loaf tin.
23. Make egg wash using egg yolk and two tablespoons of water.
24. Add the egg wash to the top of the risen dough if you want, for a shiny finishing.
25. Bake bread for about thirty to thirty five minutes or until the top is golden brown.
26. Leave the freshly baked bread to cool.
27. Serve the bread for eating.

You can eat bread with anything you want. Agege bread is one of the best and most affordable meals in Nigeria. Therefore, if you love this bread, you most definitely should try out this Agege bread recipe at home. Follow the recipe instructions carefully and you will have the yummiest Agege bread to eat with butter or jam! You can also make toast and sandwiches with Agege bread. Enjoy! Check Business ideas for more ideas.