Ingredients
Dry
- 600 gplain flour
- 3 teaspoonsbaking powder
- 2 tablespoonssugar
- 11/2 teaspoons salt
Coconut
- 200 gfresh coconut, finely grated
- or 150 g desiccated coconut
- 250 mlcoconut milk, warm
- or more, as needed
Fat
- 100 gbutter, cold and cubed
- or 100 g shortening
To finish
- a little melted butter, for brushing
To serve
- saltfish buljol
- or smoked herring
- butter
- cheese
Directions
- Fry bake is the kind fried in oil. Bake bake or pot bake is cooked in a pot. Soak desiccated coconut in warm coconut milk first. Give it ten minutes to soften. Crack a mature brown coconut open. Peel off the brown skin with a peeler.
- Grate the white flesh very finely. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Whisk them together thoroughly. Add the cold cubed butter to it. Rub it in with your fingertips. Work until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Keep everything as cold as you can.
- Stir the grated coconut through the flour. Now add the warm coconut milk gradually. Mix it with a knife or your hand. It should come together into a soft dough.
- Add the milk a little at a time. Stop as soon as it holds together. Turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead it for about two minutes only. It should be smooth and hold its shape. Cover it with a cloth and let it rest. Give it about fifteen minutes. Press the dough into a flat round. Aim for about three centimetres thick.
- Prick the surface all over with a fork. That stops it doming in the middle. Grease a heavy pot generously. Set the dough in and cover it. Set the pot over a bed of embers. Let it cook for about forty minutes.
- Heat the oven to 190C before baking. Set the dough on a lined tray. Bake it for about thirty-five minutes. Judging when it is done takes a test.
- Brush the hot top with melted butter. That gives it a soft golden shine. Let it cool for at least fifteen minutes. It is fragile while it is very hot. Fill it with saltfish buljol inside. Butter and cheese also go into it. It keeps two days if wrapped well.
Technique
- In Trinidad a bake is a noun meaning a type of bread, with fry bake fried in oil and pot bake cooked in a covered iron pot over coals.
- The bread uses baking powder rather than yeast, so it can be made quickly with no rising time.
- Saltfish buljol, shredded salt cod with tomato and onion, is the classic filling, with smoked herring the other.
Substitutions
- Desiccated coconut soaked in warm coconut milk stands in for fresh grated coconut.
- Shortening in place of butter is traditional in many households.
Variations
- Fry bake is the fried version and is served with the same fillings.
- Some cooks add a little grated cheese to the dough.
- A version made without coconut is the plain pot bake.
History
Cooked traditionally in a covered iron pot over coals; it is the classic partner to saltfish buljol and smoked herring at breakfast.
Frequently asked questions
What is Coconut bake?
Coconut bake is a bread & pastry from Trinidad and Tobago: rich coconut bread baked in a heavy pot, split and filled at breakfast. Cooked traditionally in a covered iron pot over coals; it is the classic partner to saltfish buljol and smoked herring at breakfast.
How long does Coconut bake take to make?
Coconut bake takes 30 minutes plus resting of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes one large loaf. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Coconut bake?
Yes, within limits. Desiccated coconut soaked in warm coconut milk stands in for fresh grated coconut. Shortening in place of butter is traditional in many households.
What is the most important thing to get right in Coconut bake?
The bread uses baking powder rather than yeast, so it can be made quickly with no rising time.
