Red Palm Oil Bread

I recently made some wholewheat bread and instead of my usual addition of sunflower oil, I decided to try using palm oil. 

Red palm oil is a key staple ingredient in Nigerian cuisine, made by local farmers in west Africa and used for generations by home cooks  in dishes like stews and soups. Used in moderation, it gives many of our dishes their iconic look and taste. You can’t really venture into traditional Nigerian cooking without coming into contact with it. It’s high in vitamin A and rich in antioxidants. Don’t mistake it for the unsustainable and ultra processed palm oil from other parts of the world. 

The result of this baking experiment was a vibrant golden loaf  with the subtle earthy flavour of red oil that I love so much. It was perfect with a plate of beans and imagine how good it would be with some stew. 

If you give it a try, share your creation with me over on Instagram.

Ingredients

250ml warm water

2 tbsp red palm oil 

2 tbsp light brown sugar

7g instant yeast 

1 tsp salt

200g strong bread flour 

200g wholewheat flour

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer (dough hook) and knead for 5 minutes on low, then another 5 minutes on medium. 

2. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for 1 hour 30 minutes. 

3. Knock out the air bubbles, shape the dough into a log and place into a lightly greased loaf tin. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes or until the dough rises above the tin. 

4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes. Leave to cool completely before slicing.