White sandy beaches, the sea in many colors turquoise and palm trees in the wind: this is how the imagination paints the Caribbean. In fact, it tastes like coconut bake. This is a very traditional Caribbean bread that is combined heartily. This recipe is from the new Caribbean cookbook “Good Lime” by Beni Tonka (Here’s the interview).
The term bake is probably a combination of bread and cake, writes Beni Tonka. This recipe is a mix of his aunts Cynthia and Eileen’s variants.
ingredients
For approx. 2 trays approx. 600 g flour plus flour for working 1 sachet baking powder 2 tbsp raw cane sugar 1 tsp salt 1 sachet dry yeast 125 g butter plus butter for the trays 400 ml coconut milk, grated coconut (both fresh at best) oil
That’s how it’s done
Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and dry yeast and sift into a large bowl. Form a well in the middle. Melt butter in a saucepan, remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully pour the coconut milk into the well in the flour. Work coconut flakes into the batter. Put some oil in your hands and mix everything with your fingers until the dough gets a smooth consistency. Add butter, knead dough for 3 minutes until soft and slightly sticky. If necessary, add more flour and/or a little oil.
Form a ball with your hands, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to rise for 1 hour. If making the dough the night before, let it rise in an airtight bowl in the fridge. When the dough has risen to about three times its volume, preheat the oven to 180 °C top and bottom heat. Knead well again with a few drops of oil on your hands, form a ball and put it back in the bowl. Cut off a fist-sized amount with a knife, shape into a ball again and place on the floured work surface. Do the same with the rest of the dough. Let the balls rest for another 15 minutes.
Grease baking trays with butter, dust with flour and place the dough pieces on top. Using your hand, quickly flatten the dough from the center to the edge. Distribute evenly, leaving the edges of the trays free. Poke star-shaped holes in the dough with a fork. Place the trays in the oven on the middle shelf and place a small heatproof container of water on the bottom of the oven. The steam ensures a crispy surface during baking. Bake for 10-15 minutes, then remove the water and turn the bakes over. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes until golden and crispy all over.
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