Trinidad Coconut Bake (Pot Bake)

With this new number, I also find myself craving more comfort food and comfort food, as you know, is always the taste of home–the cooking on which we were raised. One taste of home is coconut bake. And this my friends is what I have been eating for the past couple of weeks. A recipe a year in the making.

Trinidad coconut bakes, roast bakes, or pot bakes, as they are referred to, are nothing short of heavenly. Eating a slice of coconut bake with a slather of butter or cheese, or breaking off a piece to scoop up smoked herring and tomatoes, saltfish and tomatoes or buljol is quite a gratifying experience.

I’ve made coconut bakes off an on over the years, but they weren’t spectacular, just ingredients hastily thrown together hoping that the outcome would be edible. After numerous attempts over the past month, I finally have a blog-worthy recipe.

From my experience, coconut bakes are dense yet light, full of coconut flavor–but not as dense and sweet as a ‘sweet bread’. I tested the coconut bake varying the baking powder, the quantity of butter, and coconut to find the right marriage of ingredients, i.e. texture, taste, and balance.

Some folks suggested adding yeast, cookeen(shortening), milk powder, and condensed milk. But you should know me by now, I wanted to keep the bake as uncomplicated as I possibly could, without sacrificing taste, of course…Mummy suggested allowing it to rise and kneading it back down up to three times. Since I didn’t use yeast that was not necessary, saving hours of prep time.

I only used baking powder because, according to Mummy, that’s what Nani(her mother) used. Plus, I didn’t want a fluffy coconut bread. It was the rustic, dense bake that I was after.

Traditionally, coconut bakes were made in an iron pot over a chulha (wood burning earthen oven). Once I finalized the ingredients, I was very curious to discover whether I could cook it in a pot too [no wood-burning earthen oven though]. Bad idea for a person without patience. After waiting and waiting, checking the pot every minute, I couldn’t restrain my impatience. I increased the heat to medium and went off roaming the house in search of distraction and chaos to conquer.

I returned several minutes later, after “smelling something burning”, as we say. The bake was, in fact, burning! The kitchen was engulfed in smoke and my hubby was engrossed in a game, oblivious to the disaster that was unfolding a few feet away from him. Men!!!!!! So where was I? Oh yes…Bake burning, smoke everywhere. I decided immediately that making “pot bake” is not one of my fortes. I will stick to the oven. Set it and forget it…for about 30 minutes.

In a few of the test recipes, I used the Kitchen Aid mixer that my DH (yes, now he is my dear husband) bought me for Christmas. Kneading it was effortless and the outcome was just as good…but kneading the coconut by hand was just as effective and simple. Once all the ingredients are combined, I only kneaded the flour for a minute…I’m sure the pictures speak for themselves…

Cook’s Notes:

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder (aluminum free)
2 tablespoons raw brown sugar
1 cup grated coconut (lightly packed), fresh or frozen (defrosted)
¾ cup fresh coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt (I use Himalayan Salt)
3 tablespoons organic butter (salted or unsalted)
Vegan | Gluten Free Option : Substitute with coconut oil or coconut butter

1. Remove the meat from a whole dried coconut. Wash, dry and cut into small pieces. Place in a food processor and grate until fine, about 1-2 minutes.

2. Measure and set aside 1 cup of the grated coconut—lightly packed.

3. Place the remainder of the grated coconut in a medium bowl or measuring cup, add 1 cup warm water(pic on the left below). Let it sit for a few minutes and then strain– squeezing out as much liquid as you can. Can also be placed in a blender to extract a more concentrated milk. Set milk aside. Discard coconut husk.

4. Sift flour into a medium bowl. (sifting is optional)

5. Add baking powder, salt and sugar.

6. Add butter to flour mixture and rub in, using fingers, until well incorporated.

7. Add grated coconut and mix until combined.

8. Gradually add coconut milk and mix, until the dough comes together, not dry or too sticky.

9. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a lightly floured counter. Knead dough by hand for about a minute by pressing dough down with knuckles to smoothen and folding the dough over itself and pushing out with the heel of your hands, not down. [Like I did here]. Rotate dough and repeat. Remember only about 1 minute. [I never overwork the dough.]

10. Shape dough into a large round ball, cover and let it sit for 30 minutes, less is ok if you are in a rush.

11. Place in a greased sheet pan or cake pan like the picture below. Shape dough into an 8-inch round (3/4 inch thick) by pressing and pushing dough out on all side [I don’t knead it again]. Pierce dough with a fork. Allow the dough to rest about 5-10 minutes.

 

12. Place in a preheated oven 350F. Right before placing it in the oven, brush with a little water (about a teaspoon) and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bake is light and sounds hollow…and the kitchen smells heavenly…..

Remove from the oven and baking sheet. Butter a slice and eat immediately!!!!!!!

Wrap in clean kitchen towel–while eating…

Serve with butter, cheese, eggs, buljol, or saltfish and tomatoes…or whatever else turns you on….

Then write me and tell me how good it was…I’l be waiting….

Hope you are liking my recipes so far….!

Always feel free to ask me any questions…I would love to hear from you…..

With love,

for…

…all things coconut,

….and you too,

Ria

You may also love:

Trinidad Fried Bakes

Trinidad Roti – see all the types here..

Trinidad Pot Bake Recipe  

Coconut bakes, Roast Bakes or Pot bakes, as they are referred to, are nothing short of heavenly. Eating it with a slather of butter or cheese, or breaking off a piece to scoop up smoked herring and tomatoes, saltfish and tomatoes or buljol is quite a gratifying experience.

5 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, dinner, lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Caribbean

Keyword: COCONUT BAKE, Pot bake, Trinidad Coconut bake, Trinidad pot bake

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 381kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder aluminum free
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup grated coconut lightly packed, fresh or frozen (defrosted)
• ¾ cup fresh coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon salt I use Himalayan Salt
• 3 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted

Vegan | Gluten Free Option : Substitute with coconut oil or coconut butter or vegan butter

Instructions

PREP WORK

• Remove the meat from a whole dried coconut. Wash, dry and cut into small pieces. Place in a food processor and grate until fine, about 1-2 minutes.
• Measure and set aside 1 cup of the grated coconut---lightly packed.
• Place the remainder of the grated coconut in a medium bowl or measuring cup, add 1 cup warm water(pic on the left below). Let it sit for a few minutes and then strain-- squeezing out as much liquid as you can. Can also be placed in a blender to extract a more concentrated milk. Set milk aside. Discard coconut husk.

KNEAD FLOUR

• Sift flour into a medium bowl. (sifting is optional)
• Add baking powder, salt and sugar.
• Add butter to flour mixture and rub in, using fingers, until well incorporated.
• Add grated coconut and mix until combined.
• Gradually add coconut milk and mix, until the dough comes together, not dry or too sticky.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a lightly floured counter. Knead dough by hand for about a minute by pressing dough down with knuckles to smoothen and folding the dough over itself and pushing out with the heel of your hands, not down. Rotate dough and repeat. Remember only about 1 minute. [I never overwork the dough.]
• Shape dough into a large round ball, cover and let it sit for 30 minutes, less is ok if you are in a rush.

SHAPE AND BAKE

• Place in a greased sheet pan or cake pan. Shape dough into an 8-inch round (3/4 inch thick) by pressing and pushing dough out on all side [I don't knead it again]. Pierce dough with a fork. Allow the dough to rest about 5-10 minutes.
• Place in a preheated oven 350F. Right before placing it in the oven, brush with a little water (about a teaspoon) and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bake is light and sounds hollow...and the kitchen smells heavenly.....

Remove from the oven and baking sheet. Butter a slice and eat immediately!!!!!!!

Video

Notes

Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and place in a zip lock bag. Store in the refrigerator. Heat before eating. I like toasting leftovers--on the tawa-until it is nice 'n crunchy--and plastering it with butter. You can also make grilled cheese pot bake sandwiches. 

Nutrition

Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg