Trinidad bara for doubles
Soft Trinidad bara are thin yeast-raised wheat rounds fried briefly, then paired as two breads around channa and condiments to make doubles.
Coconut bake
Trinidad coconut bake · roast bake · pot bake
A yeast-raised Trinidadian wheat bread with blended fresh coconut, baked as two thick rounds.
Trinidadian coconut bread
Coconut bake is a savory Trinidadian bread, commonly served for breakfast with saltfish, cheese or other savoury foods. We Trini Food describes its method as one home preparation; the names roast bake and pot bake cover a wider set of recipes and cooking approaches. This page records one yeast-raised formula.
Fresh coconut is blended with water to make the liquid for the dough. Yeast leavens this version. The source lists baking powder as optional, but the recipe below leaves it out to keep a single yeast-only raising method. Butter is rubbed into the flour, while coconut lends flavour and texture. The source also permits Cookeen shortening in place of butter.
Sources for this section
Shape and bake
The source makes two rounds from a dough with a 30-minute rest. After punching it down, roll each piece to ½–¾ inch thick, prick the surface and rest the shaped breads for another 15 minutes. A fork helps vent the rounds, so they do not puff as much in the oven.
Bake at 400°F for 20–30 minutes, until golden on top and cooked through in the centre. The source gives 16 servings and no tested scaling method. It suggests serving the bread hot, cut into wedges or squares, with savoury fillings or alongside breakfast.
Sources for this section
Food handling
This butter version contains wheat and milk. Flour is raw and may carry harmful bacteria: keep it away from ready-to-eat food, wash hands and equipment after handling, and do not taste the dough before it is baked.
Sources for this section
History
We Trini Food describes coconut bake as a Trinidadian savory bread traditionally eaten in Trinidad and Tobago, including at breakfast with savoury accompaniments. The cited formula is a contemporary yeast-raised home recipe. It does not date the bread's earliest attestation or represent every bake, roast bake or pot bake method.
Ingredients
Yield 16 servings · Scaling: source batch only
Brown coconutOne small coconut, meat removed and cut into pieces
177 mL¾ cup as recorded
The source gives ¾–1¼ cups (105–175 g); this version selects the ¾-cup, 105-g end.Warm waterBlend with the coconut; hold back up to ½ cup extra for dough adjustment
473 mL2 cup as recorded
The source's measured base is 2 cups, with up to ½ cup extra as needed.Instant yeastProof in the blended coconut and water
9.9 mL2 tsp as recorded
All-purpose flourUse 4½ cups in the dough; reserve up to ¼ cup for bringing it together and dusting
1.12 L4¾ cup as recorded
The source gives approximately 665 g for the 4½ cups, plus ¼ cup held aside.15 mL1 tbsp as recorded
7.4 mL1½ tsp as recorded
NutmegGrated
1.2 mL¼ tsp as recorded
ButterSoftened; the source also allows cookeen shortening
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
60 gMethod
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Raw wheat flour and dough
Flour may carry harmful bacteria; do not taste the dough before baking.
Hazard sourceWheat and milk allergens
The formula contains wheat; the selected butter option contains milk.
Hazard sourceKeep raw flour and dough away from ready-to-eat food, wash hands and tools after handling, and do not taste dough before it is baked.
Control sourceTell diners this butter version contains wheat and milk. The source also allows a shortening option; use a label-checked product for guests with food allergies.
Control sourceContains wheat and milk (butter version).
The source gives no storage duration.
- Crack a small brown coconut, collect and remove the meat, and cut it into pieces. Peel the brown skin if desired.
- Blend the coconut with 2 cups warm water until the meat is fine. Add the instant yeast to this mixture and leave it for 10–15 minutes to proof.
- In a large bowl, combine 4½ cups flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg. The source lists ½ teaspoon baking powder as optional; omit it here to follow the yeast-only version. Rub in the softened butter until the mixture looks coarse.
- Add the coconut-and-yeast mixture. Knead until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5–10 minutes. Add some of the reserved warm water or flour only as needed to reach that source-described texture.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for about 30 minutes. Punch it down and divide it in two.
- Roll each piece into a round ½–¾ inch thick. Prick the surface with a fork, then place the rounds in a buttered tray, baking dish or cast-iron pan.
- Cover and rest for about 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F during this rest.
- Bake for 20–30 minutes, until the top is golden and the centre is cooked through. Brush with melted butter if desired, cut into wedges or squares and serve hot.
Conditions
Yield16 servings
Fermentation0.75 h
Places
Trinidad and Tobago
Documented preparation · Country evidenceWe Trini Food presents this yeast-raised formula as Trinidad coconut bake and describes its use in Trinidad and Tobago. This records a contemporary recipe association, not a precise origin or an exhaustive formula for the bread family.
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Sources
We Trini FoodMethod · History · Geography
The Best Trinidad Coconut Bake Recipe: Simple and EasyThe author presents this as Trinidad coconut bake, a savory bread eaten in Trinidad and Tobago, especially with breakfast accompaniments; the page says traditional use is not a dated origin claim.
The source lists a small brown coconut or ¾–1¼ cups grated coconut meat (105–175 g), 2 cups warm water with up to ½ cup kept aside for adjustment, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, 4½ cups flour plus ¼ cup held back, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1½ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and ¼ cup cookeen or butter; ½ teaspoon baking powder is optional.
Method includes blending coconut and water, proofing yeast 10–15 minutes, kneading 5–10 minutes, a 30-minute dough rest, shaping two ½–¾-inch rounds, a 15-minute rest, and baking at 400°F for 20–30 minutes; the page gives 16 servings.
Cited in: Trinidadian coconut bread; Shape and bake
U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSafety
Handling Flour Safely: What You Need to KnowRaw flour may contain harmful bacteria; do not taste raw flour or dough; keep it separate from ready-to-eat food and clean hands, tools and surfaces after handling.
Cited in: Food handling
U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSafety
Food AllergiesThe FDA lists wheat and milk among major food allergens.
Cited in: Food handling