Defo Dabo is one of the several types of bread made in Ethiopia. Typically, making Defo Dabo requires a special ingredient – the leaves of the Enset (false banana) plant or Koba Kitel in Amharic. However, if you can’t find false banana leaves near you, you can just use banana leaves instead.

Ingredients Required to Make Defo Dabo

  • 3 ¼ cups wheat flour
  • 12 oz warm water
  • ½ a packet of instant yeast
  • ½ lb banana leaf
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tbsp salt
  • ½ tbsp coriander powder
  • ½ tbsp cumin
  • ½ tbsp cardamom
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
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How to Make Defo Dabo (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

  1. Start by adding the instant yeast, sugar, and salt into a mid-sized bowl. Then pour the 12 oz. water into the mix and stir it thoroughly.
  2. Cover the mixture and let it sit for about 20 min. to get the yeast activated and start to bubble.
  3. Mix the coriander powder, cumin, and cardamom with oil and pour in the flour. Then use your hands to mix and knead them until the dough is soft, moist, and elastic. Add some more water if necessary.
  4. Set the dough aside and let it sit for some 60 minutes – covered with a clean cloth or plastic. By the end, the dough should rise to about double its original size.
  5. Place the dough on a large-sized baking pan that has been lined with some banana leaves and aluminum foil both on the sides and the base. Then place some more banana leaves on top of the dough.
  6. Let the dough sit for about 20 minutes while it’s still covered in banana leaves, then transfer it to an oven that has been preheated to 350°.
  7. Bake the dough until the dough is cooked thoroughly for about 50 – 60 minutes, and remove it from the oven. Peel off the banana leaves and slice pieces to serve.

Equipment Recommendations to Make Defo Dabo

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Defo Dabo Recipe

Defo Dabo Recipe

5.0 from 3 votes
Recipe by Sara Seife Course: Appetizers, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, SnacksCuisine: EthiopianDifficulty: Intermediate

Defo Dabo is one of the several types of bread made in Ethiopia. Typically, making Defo Dabo requires a special ingredient – the leaves of the Enset (false banana) plant or Koba Kitel in Amharic. However, if you can’t find false banana leaves near you, you can just use banana leaves instead.

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Ingredients

  • 3 ¼ cups wheat flour

  • 12 oz warm water

  • ½ packet of instant yeast

  • ½ lb banana leaf

  • 3 tbsp sugar

  • ½ tbsp salt

  • ½ tbsp coriander powder

  • ½ tbsp cumin

  • ½ tbsp cardamom

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

  • Start by adding the instant yeast, sugar, and salt into a mid-sized bowl. Then pour the 12 oz. water into the mix and stir it thoroughly.
  • Cover the mixture and let it sit for about 20 min. to get the yeast activated and start to bubble.
  • Mix the coriander powder, cumin, and cardamom with oil and pour in the flour. Then use your hands to mix and knead them until the dough is soft, moist, and elastic. Add some more water if necessary.
  • Set the dough aside and let it sit for some 60 minutes – covered with a clean cloth or plastic. By the end, the dough should rise to about double its original size.
  • Place the dough on a large-sized baking pan that has been lined with some banana leaves and aluminum foil both on the sides and the base. Then place some more banana leaves on top of the dough.
  • Let the dough sit for about 20 minutes while it’s still covered in banana leaves, then transfer it to an oven that has been preheated to 350°.
  • Bake the dough until the dough is cooked thoroughly for about 50 – 60 minutes, and remove it from the oven. Peel off the banana leaves and slice pieces to serve.

Notes

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Sara Seife
Sara Seife

Sara is a blogger, nutritionist, and recipe engineer who loves to create and share Ethiopian food recipes and guides. She is the Chief Editor of The Ethiopian Food, an online platform that aims to help people all over the world learn about and enjoy Ethiopian cuisine. Sara is passionate about sharing her love of Ethiopian food and culture with others, and she hopes that her recipes and guides will help people to create delicious and authentic Ethiopian meals at home.

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