Himbasha

Himbasha is an Ethiopian and Eritrean celebration bread that is slightly sweet. It is often served at special occasions. But it is also eaten for ordinary days for breakfast, lunch or supper. It can be eaten with spreads or jam or with stews where you tear pieces of bread and dip in the stew or toppings.



Ingredients:
1, 1 kg (2 ½ lb) wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp yeast
1 tsp salt
¼ cup oil
1 cup water

Directions:

Put yeast and sugar in mildly warm water (about a cup of water). Wait until it rises, 20-30 minutes, than mix all ingredients to make a dough, (just like a dough for a regular bread). Wait until it rises about 4 hours. Then bake it in an electric frying pan or in the oven on 200 celcius degrees for 20 minutes. This will make it flat and you can make any design on it before baking.

This bread is prepared in a number of varieties, however the most distinctive flavoring is ground cardamom seeds. Some put raisins in it or decorate with raisins. This is optional as well. For this size if you like add ½ cup raisins to the ingredients. I baked the bread in the oven, but if you want to bake it in a frying pan it works just as well. Just make sure you don´t have too hot frying pan and you should cover with a lid. You turn the bread over while you bake it this way until it is done.