Burẹ́dì Ágẹ̀gẹ (Soft Pull-Apart Rolls)
Slightly sweet, plush and tender, this yeast-risen bread is often dipped and dragged through saucy dishes, used as a vessel to deliver food to the mouth. In Lagos, Nigeria, it is known as ágẹ̀gẹ bread, named for the large industrial bakery that relocated to the city of Ágẹ̀gẹ in the 1960s to sell hot loaves to eager commuters. Here, the buns provide a smaller, portable version of the loaf. The dense yet cloudlike bread is dipped in milk tea, sandwiched with akara (fried bean fritters) or served alongside any soup or stew. For this recipe, protein-rich milk powder, along with eggs and cold butter, provide the structure and fat that creates the bread’s signature richness. Kneading, either by hand or using a stand mixer, is also essential for its structure. Any shape pan (round, square or rectangular) that’s 8 to 10 inches in diameter or length can be used here. After the final brushing of softened butter, you can top the warm rolls with flakes of sea salt or a drizzle of honey.
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