Vetkoek is a South African fried bread with sweet or savory fillings. It originated from Dutch immigrants and is similar to oliebollen. The dough is leavened and shaped into balls before being fried and served with various toppings. Popular savory fillings include beef and cheese.
Vetkoek is a fried South African bread. It is often eaten with a variety of sweet and savory fillings. The Afrikaner word is pronounced as “fetish cook” and literally means greasy bread, probably due to the fact that the bread is fried rather than baked.
Dutch immigrants who moved from Cape Town to the interior of South Africa in the early 1800s, known as Voortrekkers, or “those who walk ahead”, started making vetkoek because it was quicker and easier to cook than to typical breads. The bread is similar to Dutch oliebollen, a fried sweet bread containing raisins. Vetkoek may have been a savory derivation of oliebollen without the raisins.
Vetkoek is traditionally a leavened dough made from flour, baking powder and salt. Sometimes it also contains sugar or butter. The liquid in the bread can be water or a combination of milk and egg. The preparation of the dough is similar to a typical yeast bread dough: the yeast is first proofed in water, the other ingredients are then mixed in, and the dough is allowed to rise at least once and sometimes twice. Some recipe versions use baking powder for leavening instead of baking powder, in which case the dough shouldn’t rise.
The yeast dough is shaped into balls, usually no more than 2 inches (about 5 cm) in diameter. If yeast dough is used, the dough is simply dropped into the cooking oil with spoons. Any type of frying oil can be used to cook vetkoek. The balls of dough are usually fried in oil to a depth of a few inches (about 7 to 8 cm). They are fried on each side for a few minutes, until the batter is golden brown and cooked through, then drained.
Vetkoek can be eaten with any meal or as a snack. Popular sweet toppings for bread include syrup, honey or jam, and butter. The sweetened versions are typically served with strong black coffee.
There are many savory filling versions for vetkoeks as well. One particular type is known as a rabbit curry – a fried bun filled with ground beef that has been cooked with curry spices. It is a popular treat for school children in South Africa. Other popular savory fillings include regular ground beef, corned beef, and various types of cheeses.
A variation on filling sandwiches with savory ingredients after baking is to bake the fillings into the sandwiches. Grated cheeses or chopped greens can be incorporated into the vetkoek dough. Alternatively, the dough can be wrapped around a filling before frying.
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