How to Make Ugandan Daddies

~ Sophie

Last week, the craving for bagiya hit so hard that I attempted to make some at home…. only to realize I don’t really know how they are made. *insert face palm emoji* I had a vague idea of soya flour and cassava flour but besides that I totally knew nothing. I was frustrated and a bit guilty because this is one snack I have had from childhood but had never bothered to find out how it was made or what went into it. I took to Instagram and was surprised to find out that almost no one knew how to make bagiya too! For the next coming months, I am on a quest to research about and make bagiya but in the meantime, we can indulge in daddies.

What are Daddies? Daddies are also a childhood snack that just bring back all the memories. Boarding school grub at its finest…If you have been through the Ugandan education system.  I am yet to find out the origin of the daddies and how they came to be called that in the first place. If you don’t know daddies, they are small bite-sized sweet fried flour cubes. Their composition is similar to mandazi although very crunchy since a lot of shortening is used. Since it is still citrus season (check out my last post), I infused orange juice and zest into these daddies to give it a fragrant aroma and fruity taste. They can be eaten on their own or as parfait, or in porridge and anything you like really. There are no rules.

 

What you will need:

4 C. All Purpose flour

4 Tbsp. Sugar

3 Tsp. Oil/Margarine/butter

1/2 C. Orange juice

1 C. Cold water

1 Tsp. Orange zest

1/2 Tsp . Nutmeg

1/2 Tsp. Ground cloves

1/2 Tsp. Salt

 

Observations:

To create layers in the daddies,  use the puff pastry technique of rolling and folding the dough. . Fold it three times before cutting.

Method

  1. In a clean bowl, add flour, sugar, salt, nutmeg, cloves, orange zest and mix well.
  2. Rub in the oil/butter/margarine til the flour mixture is coarse.
  3. Pour in the orange juice and mix well. Next pour in the water gradually until a firm dough is formed. Set aside the dough for about 10 minutes.
  4. After 10 minutes, knead the dough till smooth.
  5. Flour your rolling surface and roll the dough to about half an inch in thickness. Using a sharp knife cut the dough into small bite-sized squares.
  6. Place a pan on fire. Add oil and wait for it to get hot.
  7. Add your daddies and fry them till golden brown. Remove from oil and drain.
  8. Serve. Preferably with tea or hot cocoa.

I would like to know, what Ugandan snacks are you able to make at home? Which one do you struggle with?

Also do you think I should make a video for these daddies or not?

Published by Sophie

A food enthusiast and home cook celebrating the fusion of Ugandan food. Cooking and writing about it at akitcheninuganda.com

40 thoughts on “How to Make Ugandan Daddies”

  1. hi Sophie, i have liked this, i would like to begin baking this to make some money, what more ingredients do i need to keep it soft for some time.thanks

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      1. I have not tried making daddies with vinegar. Although it can be substituted for lemon juice.
        You can try it and let me know how they turn out. Share your creations using #AkitchenInUg

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    1. Hello Katende. To make them very crunchy you will need to add more shortening, use hot water to mix the dough and reduce the temperature of the frying oil. I hope this helps.

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  7. Thank u, I cannot get nutmeg,groundcloves & orange zest in our area,but I have other ingredients,can I still make good daddies?

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    1. Hello Ruth! Yes you can still make the daddies. The taste will be different though. For orange zest, Just buy oranges, wash them well and grate the green/orange rind. it adds to the flavor of the daddies!

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  9. Thanks for the wonderful procedures. How can I package my daddies so as to sell.. And how long can they last without getting spoilt

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  14. Pingback: How to Make the Best Ugandan Daddies Video – A Kitchen In Uganda

  15. Thanks Sophie but how can I meet and you teach me more for me who would want to produce on a large Scale
    Am Ivan Peter

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    1. Hello Ivan,
      I think the best thing to do is to invest in some equipment like a mixer and an electric frier then double or triple the recipe to produce the quantity you want. I hope this helps.

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  16. Thanks for this blog Sophie, let me try the bagiyas and daddies this weekend, I made bagiya last weekend using cassava flour and soya but they didn’t come out well.

    Iam Racheal

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  18. Apart from all purpose flour which is difficult to get like in kabale which other brand do u recommend for us that makes daddies soft crunchy not too hard

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    1. Syson, you can use regular chapati flour but make sure you follow the techniques well because they are the one that will help you achieve soft crunchy daddies. Let me know how it goes!

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  19. I followed the recipe quite well and substituted for the things I didnt have like lemon zest for the orange zest part and lemon juice instead of orange juice and I left out the nutmeg. At first i tried but they werent nice but the second time they were so so delicious and I also folded and rolled the dough to make layers in them. THANKS FOR THIS AMAZING RECIPE.

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