As I mentioned in my previous post, I am starting my month long mega marathon today. The theme is pretty exciting and one which is my hot favourite. Breads, that too flat breads around the world. And we are also doing it in A-Z order. I am so fond of yeast based breads and you will be seeing so many breads this month. And also I have read about so many cuisines around the world just for this theme and learnt a lot. I am sure you will find it interesting too.
The first bread for the alphabet A is a celebration bread from Ethiopia. Ambasha also known as Himbasha, is made for Christmas in Ethiopia and Eritrea. What I loved about this bread is the beautiful pattern made on the crust. There were so many fancy designs, but the most common one is the design which resembled a wheel. I made the pattern as I saw on the blog I referred. This is a mildly sweet, cardamom bread, and the nigella / the black sesame seeds add a note of savoury to it. It is so beautiful to look at and is perfect for a celebration. Though the basic variety is made plain, there are some recipes which add candied ginger and raisins in the dough. This is also served as a tea time snack. I also read an interesting fact about Ambasha. The bread is placed on a child’s back and it is broken into two on the child’s first birthday so that the child’s future is prosperous.
Recipe Sources : SBS, Red Dish Kitchen
Makes One 9″ Bread
Ingredients:
Maida / All Purpose Flour – 1 cup
Sugar – 1 tbs
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Instant Yeast – 1/2 tsp
Black Sesame Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Milk – 1/3 cup + 1 tbs
Coconut Oil – 1 tbs
Procedure:
In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, salt, yeast and sesame seeds.
Add in oil and milk and mix to form a soft dough.
Knead the dough for a few minutes until smooth and elastic.
Cover and set aside until double in volume.
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Punch dough and shape it into a disc.
Place it in a greased 9″ cake tin and press it to line the whole tin.
Cover and set it aside for 15 – 30 minutes.
Using a butter knife or a spatula, cut it into sections and make decorative patterns.
Give a milk wash and bake for 30 – 40 minutes in the preheated oven.
Cut it into 2″ cubes and serve.
Ambasha / Himbasha - Ethiopian Flat Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- Maida/ All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
- Sugar-1 tbs
- Salt - 1/4 tsp
- Instant Yeast - 1/2 tsp
- Black Sesame Seeds - 1/2 tsp
- cup Milk - 1/3+ 1 tbs
- Coconut Oil - 1 tbs
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, salt, yeast and sesame seeds.
- Add in oil and milk and mix to form a soft dough.
- Knead the dough for a few minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and set aside until double in volume.
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Punch dough and shape it into a disc.
- Place it in a greased 9" cake tin and press it to line the whole tin.
- Cover and set it aside for 15 - 30 minutes.
- Using a butter knife or a spatula, cut it into sections and make decorative patterns.
- Give a milk wash and bake for 30 - 40 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Cut it into 2" cubes and serve.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 92
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Wow ! What a pretty looking bread and must have been so flavourful . I am glad you picked this theme now we can get some fantastic breads from you . I am sure the whole series will be bookmarked .
Beautiful beginning !
That looks so beautiful Gayathri! It is always amazing to learn about the history of food and its significance in various cultures. Can’t wait to see what awesome breads you have in store for us the whole month.
Gayathri, what a stunning bread and I love reading about the history and the significance of this bread! The pattern has come out so well. I am surely going to enjoy your series and can’t wait to read what will be made!
This is such a beautiful pattern. I’m not baking much these days but this bread is tempting me to make it….bookmarking
The pattern on the bread looks awesome Gayathri. I am so eager to see what all you have planned for the rest of the days.
That bread looks so amazing and I am having the same one coming for a different alphabet. Love how beautifully you have designed the bread. Mildly sweet and perfect with the hint of sesame.
Wow! that is such an amazing looking patterned bread, Gayathri. Your artistic skills combined with your baking skills can do wonders and you are proving it in all your posts. Looking forward to all the breads this month.
Thats a gorgeous bread Gayathri. Glad that you gonna run this Marathon with International flatbreads. Seriously am curious to know what you are going to post for the upcoming days. And what a lovely beginning. Ambasha looks prefect start to this BM.
I too loved the pattern on the bread. The bread is beautifully baked and such lovely colour. Waiting to see what all different types of bread you are baking.
Such a beautiful bake Gayathri and also love the information about Ambasha. The pattern also caught my eye. Superb start to the marathon. Waiting to see what other exciting recipes you share with us.
This is amazing Gayatri, this Ambasha bread looking so gorgeous and made such a beautiful design to cut. I am literally drooling to see this bread again n again scrolling up and down. Came out so well. A great pick for the theme to start with.
Love the bread especially your artistic pattern which makes me hungry.. so tempting and perfectly baked.
It looks nice but is flat. I have had Imbadha bread few times (from an Eritrean lady) and hers is about double the height of yours…
First, I was even astonished to find that the bread that I loved growing up, I am Ethiopian by the way, on the very first alphabetical seies.
Second, I appreciate your devoted humble reasearch into finding such breads (like አምባሻ, “Ambassha”) for tryouts.