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Difo

Ethiopian Sour bread made with false banana leaves
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Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 days
Servings: 8
Course: bread
Cuisine: Ethiopian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Teff starter yeast (mixed a day or 8-10 hrs. ahead see notes above
  • 1 tsp Active dry yeast this is optional but it makes the bread lighter and fluffier
  • 1 cup Water room temperature
  • 4 cups Flour I use 2 cups freshly ground flour and 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour. See notes above
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tbsp honey or 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 large Banana leaf

Method
 

Making the dough
  1. In a large bowl, whisk the starter and water together using a fork or spatula. Add the flour, salt, dry yeast, honey, and oil. You can use a stand mixer to knead the dough, or do it by hand for about 5-7 minutes. Using a stand mixer saves time and eliminates the need for multiple stretches.
Rest and proof
  1. Cover and let it rise for 8 to 10 hours or until doubles in size
  2. Coax the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Grab a corner of the dough and pull it up into the center. Repeat this process until the dough is gently shaped into a round. To do this, fold the top down to the center, turn the dough, and repeat the fold until you’ve come full circle. If you have a bench scraper, use it to push and pull the dough to create tension.
  3. Second fermentation: Let the dough rest seam side up for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line an 8-inch (20 cm) bowl or proofing basket with a towel (flour sack towels are ideal) and dust it with flour. Place the dough round into the lined bowl, seam side up. Cover with a warm towel and let it rise until it doubles in size, approximately 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature in your home.
  4. If you choose to proof the dough in the fridge for an extended period of time, you may want to tuck it into a loosely tied bag — produce bags from the grocery store are great for this purpose — to ensure the dough does not dry out.
Score and Bake
  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F. Cut a piece of banana leaf to fit the size of your baking pot. palce a couple layers. I use a stainless-steel pot with an oven-proof cover, which works perfectly. You can also use a Dutch oven; if you do, place the Dutch oven in the oven while it preheats since it is thicker.
  2. Place a banana leaf over the dough and invert the bowl to release it. Using the tip of a small knife or a razor blade, score the dough as desired—a simple "X" works well. Use the parchment paper to carefully transfer the dough into baking pot.
  3. Lower the oven temperature to 400ºF. Carefully cover the pot and bake the dough for 35 minutes. Then, remove the lid, lower the temperature to 350ºF, and continue baking for an additional 20-25 minutes. If necessary, cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.
  4. Difo will stay fresh for up to 3 days when stored at room temperature in an airtight plastic bag or container. It also freezes beautifully.