Version from Central Java, Indonesia
roti gambang — Central Java, Indonesia
A dense, dark rectangular bread from Jakarta and Semarang, sweetened with palm sugar and cinnamon and topped with sesame seeds, baked for Ramadan and Eid gatherings.
- 25 min
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 8
- Servings
- Medium
- Difficulty
Roti gambang is a rectangular loaf, brown from palm sugar and warmly spiced with cinnamon, its crust dotted with sesame seeds; it sits closer to a spiced tea cake than to a plain white bread, dense and lightly sweet rather than airy.
It is reported from both Jakarta, in Betawi cooking, and Semarang, in Central Java, and appears around religious and civic occasions such as Dugderan, Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, when it is baked in batches and sold or shared alongside tea and coffee.
The dough is made by creaming palm sugar with butter and eggs, then folding in flour, ground cinnamon and a little baking powder until a soft, dark batter forms; it is poured into rectangular tins, scattered generously with sesame seeds, and baked until firm and a skewer comes out clean, giving loaves with a close, slightly chewy crumb.
Its cinnamon-and-palm-sugar flavor and dense, chewy crumb set it apart from lighter Javanese breads baked for the same occasions, and its keeping quality — it stays moist for several days — made it practical for households preparing food ahead of a busy religious calendar.
Preparation
Cream the butter and palm sugar together until smooth.
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture alternately with the milk.
Pour the batter into greased rectangular tins.
Scatter sesame seeds generously over the top.
Bake in a moderate oven until firm and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let the loaves cool before slicing.
