The Ximuwu kitchen is a place that sends you on a number of taste journeys throughout your stay at the lodge. The chefs have the knack of delivering mouthwatering delights inspired by cuisine from the four corners of the world, ranging from African and Asian flavours to the pastry delights of a Europe and everything in between.

However, there is one thing that all of us will agree on and that is that there is nothing more inviting or gets one’s mouth-watering more than the smell of freshly baked bread wafting into the lodge and on most mornings, we are treated to this at Ximuwu.

Abigail our resident pastry magician who manages to deliver these freshly baked  goods on site from the lodge kitchen. A personal favourite of ours and one that has stood out to almost everyone who has had the pleasure of enjoying it, is her signature Sourdough bread.

Sourdough is something that takes time and patience to make properly and with a quiet skill and a deft hand Abigail makes this look easy.

Here is her step-by-step recipe:

Sourdough Starter.

2 cups of water

2 cups of White Bread Flour

1 teaspoon of Yeast

Mixed the ingredients together and leave uncovered overnight at room temperature.

The second step is to add the remaining dry ingredients to the Sourdough Starter. The starter mixture should have loads of bubbles in it which indicates that the yeast is fermenting, and the starter is ready to use.

Add of these ingredients together and mix well in a mixing machine for approximately 10 minutes or until the dough is ready to be worked. The dough can now be stretched three (3) times with an hour’s proof time between stretches.

The dough can then be shaped, and this is then left overnight to proof into the desired loaf.

Bake for an hour at 230° Celsius pre heated oven, preferably to be baked in a black cast iron pot with the lid on.

Best served fresh with lots of fresh butter your choice of topping.