{"id":280,"date":"2021-01-27T21:17:52","date_gmt":"2021-01-27T21:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wandercapetown.com\/?p=280"},"modified":"2023-08-07T18:31:47","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07T18:31:47","slug":"roosterkoek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wandercapetown.com\/recipe\/roosterkoek\/","title":{"rendered":"Roosterkoek Recipe | South Africa\u2019s Favourite Braai Bread"},"content":{"rendered":"

In South Africa, braai is king. Whether you\u2019re celebrating a great rugby match, revelling in the fact that it\u2019s a beautiful Sunday, or just trying to get a delicious meal on the table, you can\u2019t go wrong with a braai.<\/p>\n

For those amongst us who are unfamiliar with the term, a braai is the South African form of a barbeque. Typically cooked over coals that were, just before, a roaring wood fire, a braai is a social affair. Most often accompanied by a couple of beers, a little whiskey, and plenty of loud voices and laughter.<\/p>\n

Roosterkoek is a humble but absolutely crucial part of any great braai. In fact, when you get down to it, most people would actually say that roosterkoeke<\/em> are the best part of the meal. And if you can\u2019t get the meat lovers to admit to that, it\u2019ll certainly be their favourite addition.<\/p>\n

What is Roosterbrood \/ Roosterkoek?<\/h2>\n

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Since this is a classic South African food, it has a classic South African name. In Afrikaans (our main language in the Little Karoo town of Oudtshoorn<\/a> where we grew up, and one of South Africa\u2019s 11 official languages<\/a>) rooster <\/em>refers to the grid that goes over the fire. Koek <\/em>translates directly to cake. And brood<\/em>, which is the other common suffix that, in this case, is interchangeable with koek, translates to bread.<\/p>\n

So it is a bread cooked over the fire. It\u2019s made from scratch, with a few simple ingredients. The dough, once it has risen nicely, can be pulled apart and made into little personal breads. The idea is that each person will have at least one mini bread of their own.<\/p>\n

But you\u2019ll find that one roosterkoek is seldom enough, especially if your family eats like a South African family typically does (a lot, and with great enthusiasm).<\/p>\n

How to eat your Roosterkoek Resep<\/em><\/h2>\n

Just as important as a great roosterkoek recipe is what you put on it. The ultimate way to enjoy a braai bread is by getting it while it\u2019s hot, cutting it in half, and slathering it in salted butter. If you\u2019ve got it straight off the fire, hot steam will probably slow your excited movements. But persevere.<\/p>\n

Once the butter has melted into the warm carbs, jam and cheese are next up. Apricot jam is a general favourite, but if you have a preferred preserve, it\u2019s sure to go perfectly. Cheddar cheese is my go-to, but cheese is cheese in this case, and almost any will go with this mini-meal.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not having a vegetarian or vegan<\/a> braai, meat also suits wonderfully. You can make a sandwich with all of the works, depending on your tastes. I personally like to slice up some steak, a little tomato, and top it off with cheese.<\/p>\n

But because it\u2019s simply a very tasty bread, it can go with anything you\u2019d put on a normal slice of toast. But it\u2019s a lot<\/strong> better.<\/p>\n

How to shape Roosterkoek<\/h2>\n

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Once you\u2019ve let your prepared dough rise to about double its original size, it\u2019s time to shape your roosterkoek. Have a bag of flour at the ready. And if you\u2019re not prepared to have your kitchen covered in the fine powdery dust, take out a large dish to work over which you can also put the little rolls in.<\/p>\n

Powder the surfaces that you\u2019ll work on so that nothing gets sticky. Then put a layer of flour over the dough too, and your hands while you\u2019re at it.<\/p>\n

Your roll size depends on your preferences. You can go with either a golf ball size, all the way to a tennis ball chunk of dough. Pull it apart from the rest of the dough and, making sure that any stickiness is covered with some flour, roll it into a ball.<\/p>\n

Then you\u2019ll squish the ball. Flatten it out between your hands, pinching it down flat, to under 1cm in thickness. Since your \u2018braai brood\u2019 will rise a little bit before and during the baking process, they shouldn\u2019t be too thick. You don\u2019t want them to be burnt over the coals before cooking in the middle.<\/p>\n

Once they\u2019re flattened, simply make sure that each doughy roosterkoek has a little flour on its surface so that it doesn\u2019t stick to the others. You\u2019re ready for the fire.<\/p>\n

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Roosterkoek Recipe<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n<\/span>Kura Samouilhan<\/span><\/span>\n
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\n\t<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print Recipe<\/a>\n\t<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Pin Recipe<\/a>\n \n<\/div>\n
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Prep Time <\/span>1 hour<\/span><\/span> hr<\/span> 15 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time <\/span>20 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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Course <\/span>Side Dish<\/span><\/div>
Cuisine <\/span>South African<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Servings <\/span>8<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Ingredients
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