I can’t begin to count the number of times I have eaten tea bread in the past month. I have made it so many times that I probably would not eat any more bread till mid year. I also know that a lot of you are probably upset because it's taken me so long to upload the recipe, I need to make sure that every recipe I post is full proof and sometimes that takes quite some time.

Some things worth noting;

• This recipe is pretty straightforward, however it requires about 9 hrs of proofing time. I recommend that you make and shape the dough in the evening when you're about to go to bed so you can bake it in the morning. I’ll include a suggested timeline in the directions below.

• You can mix it in the morning and bake it in the evening if you wish to.

• Depending on the strength or freshness of your yeast, the dough may rise quicker.

• If you use 1/32 teaspoon of yeast, which is really a very tiny pinch, dough will finish proofing in about 9hrs. This is my preferred timeline.

• If you use 1/16 teaspoon of yeast, dough will finish proofing in about 5 hours.

• There is no double proofing here so you have to be extra diligent in making sure that the dough rises just right.

• Ghanaian tea breads are known for their light crunchy crust when warm. It is easier to achieve this if you use a fan forced oven. My gas oven rose to the occasion but there were instances when I had to turn on the grill after the required baking time. You might get lucky like I did today and get the crust straightforward. If it doesn't happen, don't panic. Turn the grill on and bake for an additional 2 mins or place top side down on a baking rack and bake until golden to golden brown..

• Because it's baked on a tray, there's the chance that the bottom would brown too quickly. You can fix this in 2 ways; place a silicon mat on the baking tray before placing the baking paper on it or place a pizza stone, heavy bottomed pan or an earthen pot at the bottom of the oven so the heat distribes evenly.

• If you like your bread a tad bit salty, use 11g of salt otherwise stick to the 10g

• Use freshly grounded nutmeg. It's more potent and gives the taste I am going for.

• I’ll post a video on my insta highlights if you're having trouble shaping.

• No matter the sizes, it would still require the same baking time as if there were bigger.

• If you over flour the work station, rolling the bread would be extra difficult so use flour on a need to basis.

• The time guide is just a suggestion. You can time it so it’s ready by the time you wake up.

Recipe

what you need

585g bread/hard flour

1/16 to 1/32 teaspoon instant dry yeast ( 5 to 9 hr proofing time)

26g (2 tablespoons) sugar

10g fine sea salt

60g margarine

3g freshly grated nutmeg

305g water

• All ingredients are at room temperature

• Weigh nutmeg before grating

Directions

8pm mixing

Combine all the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Using a whisk, stir until completely combined and connect the mixer. Using the knead attachment, turn the mixer to medium and add the water to the dry ingredients. Knead until there are no longer any flour bits, about 6 to 10 mins then add the margarine. Turn the mixer to medium high and knead for 25 mins or until you reach the window pane stage. Turn the mixer off and allow the bread dough to rest for 35 mins.

If kneading by hand:

Add the water to the dry ingredients and let it stand for 15 mins before you start kneading. Knead for 30 mins. You can take breaks in between. Dough should feel soft, smooth, tacky and not sticky when fully kneaded. It should not stick to your fingers. Do not add any more water than the recipe recommends.

9pm shaping

Lightly flour a clean work surface and place bread dough. Divide dough into 4 or 5 equal pieces then shape them into a ball. Working with one ball at a time, flatten the dough with your palms. Lift one side to the center and press down with fingers to seal. Lift the directly opposite side and do the same.

Now bring the outer ends together and then pinch together to seal. Place the seam side (pinched edges) down on the work surface and roll the dough until it resembles a log about 7 inches long. Taper both ends so that the ends are thinner than the middle part and place shaped dough aside and continue working on the rest. Flour the work surface lightly if dough is sticking unto it.

Place a silicon mat on a baking tray and place a baking sheet on it. Arrange the loaves on the tray being sure to leave enough space between them so they have enough room to rise. Lift the baking sheet to create a ridge between each dough. This helps keep the shape and make sure they don't touch when they rise. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it proof on the kitchen counter for about 9 hrs.

Check my insta highlights if you're a bit confused about these steps.

6am bake time

5:30 am Preheat oven to 200C

Sprinkle a bit of flour on the proofed bread and spread out the baking sheet again to remove the ridges. Place tray in the center rack, reduce oven temperature to 190C and bake for 40 to 45mins depending on the sizes. Cover top of the bread with foil if it starts to darken way too fast. Rotate the tray mid bake so that the part facing the back of the oven now faces the front of the oven.

Allow to cool before slicing. That said I ate mine warm with a bit of butter so do whatever rocks your boat.