Bake Yourself a Slice of Caribbean Sunshine with Trinidad Bread
Are you ready to bring the bright flavors of the Caribbean to your kitchen? Let’s make Trinidad bread—it’s a traditional dish with plenty of originality and tantalizing tastes.
This recipe has a deep history spanning back centuries and working its way through generations of culture and cuisine. In a way, it’s a reflection of the beauty and diversity of the Caribbean culture. The best part — all of that tastes delicious, too!
Ingredients:
- 3-4 cups White all-purpose flour (1 cup for kneading, the rest for flouring the board)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoons vegetable oil or Solid shortening
- 1-1½ cup Hot water (115ºF or 46ºC)
- Cornmeal for dusting
Instructions:
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir until the yeast, sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil and the hot water.
- Mix and knead the dough until it is stretchy and elastic.
- Shape into a round, flatten it slightly and check for how soft or firm it feels to you.
- Place on a board sprinkled with flour, cornmeal or rice flour and allow to rise for about 1 hour in a warm place.
- Cut a slash through the top with a sharp knife and place in the oven preheated to 400°F (200°C).
- After 30 minutes turn the bread on its side and bake for another 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool.
Trinidad bread is perfect as a side dish, with butter or just toasted and enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee. It’s great for that special occasion or just to make any day extra special. The golden brown color, the warm and inviting aroma of freshly-baked bread and the soft and fluffy texture all definitely come together for a truly unique and delicious experience.
Trinidad bread is very similar to Indian parathas and Latin American tortillas but with a distinct flavor from the use of dark brown sugar that adds just a hint of sweetness balanced with the salt. It’s a great way to get creative with a traditional recipe and introduce something new and exciting to your recipe repertoire.
So why not unearth the flavors of the Caribbean and bring a little sunshine to your kitchen? Give this delightful Trinidad bread a try and let us know what you think!
