East Africa · Side
Defo Dabo (Leavened Wheat Hearth Bread Baked in Banana Leaves)
A towering, fragrant sourdough wheat loaf spiced with nigella and korerima, steam-baked inside charred banana leaves.
The story
Originating in the central and northern highlands among Amhara and Oromo communities, Defo Dabo is the quintessential celebration bread for Fasika (Easter) and Enkutatash (New Year). Traditionally baked over open hearths buried under embers in deep circular clay pans, the bread gains a unique herbal perfume and superb moisture retention from its protective wrapping of scorched banana leaves. The dough relies on aromatic additions of nigella seed, ground korerima, and fenugreek, producing a distinctively complex, dense yet pillowy crumb unlike Western hearth loaves.
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