Vetkoek

🍞 Golden, soft fried yeast breads to fill with kapana, cooked minced meat or jam.

Ingredients

• 🌾 500 g wheat flour
• 🧫 7 g instant dry yeast
• 🍚 15 g sugar
• 🧂 8 g fine salt
• 💧 300 ml lukewarm water, added gradually
• 🫗 20 ml neutral oil for the dough
• 🛢️ About 1.2 l neutral oil for frying, depending on the pot
• 🥩 To serve: cooked kapana, cooked minced meat or jam, as preferred
• 🍅 Optional tomato, onion and chili for a savoury filling

Preparation

Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the oil, then gradually pour in lukewarm water while mixing to form a soft dough.

Knead for 8 to 10 min on a lightly floured surface. The dough should be elastic and only slightly sticky; add water in small amounts rather than too much flour.

Shape into a ball, cover the bowl and leave to rise for about 60 min in a warm place, until nearly doubled.

Gently deflate. Divide into 8 equal portions, shape into balls and flatten slightly. Cover and rest for 10 min while the oil heats.

Pour the oil into a deep pot, no more than halfway up. Heat to about 170 °C; without a thermometer, a small piece of dough should rise and sizzle without browning immediately.

Fry 2 or 3 breads at a time without crowding, for about 3 to 4 min per side. Turn when the underside is golden and cook until the centre is done.

Drain on a rack or paper towels. Let the oil return to temperature between batches and check that no bread is raw in the middle.

Serve warm, split without cutting all the way through, with hot cooked kapana or minced meat; jam is also an option for a sweet version.