Nigerian Agege Bread…A Failed Attempt

Everyone close to me knows that my biggest weakness is Bread. I love Bread. Any kind of soft, fresh bread. My favorite however is ‘Agege’ (Local) Bread. A type of bread sold mainly in Lagos, Nigeria. I just love it.  My mother in law has a bakery near her office and every so often, she would send me some loaves. They were just the best.

I even remember that while I was living in London, when requesting any thing from Nigeria, I would always put in a request for bread. When I moved to Glasgow, I discovered a small shop that sold ‘Agege Bread. They were brought in every Friday to Glasgow from a bakery down south. The bread went fast though! If you were not there on time, it would all be gone. I usually had to leave work earlier than normal to guarantee myself a loaf… or two.

It is my weakness. My name is Mogee and I am a Breadaholic!

The closest thing I have found to ‘Agege’ Bread here in the US is the New York Bagel. It has a similar chewy texture even though it has a denser mouth feel than ‘Agege’ Bread does. It would do for now till I can at least get my recipe right.

I wanted to make sure I had some of my favorite things for Thanksgiving.  I attempted making some ‘Agege’ bread for breakfast but unfortunately, my first try wasn’t as pleasant as I had hoped.

Taste wise, it was almost perfect. Buttery with just the right amount of sweetness. The texture however was a different matter all together. It was very dense. Not soft and fluffy like ‘Agege’ Bread should be.

I suspect either the yeast is to blame or I didn’t allow the bread enough rising time. I have decided not to post the recipe until I am able to perfect this bread. I would have it up as soon as possible.

I am still hoping to have some ‘Agege’ Bread for breakfast on Thanksgiving.

Enjoy!