Easy Bake Salt Bread | Snack

Every island has its go-to bread for sandwiches. The Jamaicans have coco

bread (which, as it happens, contains neither coconut nor cacao), the

Trinidadians have hops bread, and Bajans have salt bread. I wish I could share

all of the recipes for island rolls, but since I had to choose one, I went with the

salt bread, since its recipe can be hard to come by. Salt bread recipes have

always been a closely guarded secret in Barbados. The name salt bread doesn’t

mean that this bread is particularly salty, just that it is savoury bread. It has a soft,

floury crust, and when you bite into it, you get a flour moustache and a pillowy-soft

interior. Old-fashioned salt breads are made with white flour and a coconut

palm leaf on top of each bread so that when the bread rises, it bursts, giving it a

rustic appearance. You can create a similar appearance by slitting the top and

sides with a knife.

Ingredients

One ¼-ounce package (2½ teaspoons / 7 g) active dry yeast

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 cup (250 ml) warm water (110°F to 115°F / 43°C to 46°C), or

more as needed

4 cups (500 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegan margarine, melted

Coconut palm pieces, optional

Instructions

Stir the yeast and sugar into the water and let stand for about 15 minutes, until

the top is foamy. (If the yeast doesn’t foam, it’s dead or the water was too hot or

too cool. You need to start over with fresh yeast.) Put the flour and salt in a bowl

and stir to combine. Add the yeast mixture and the melted margarine and stir

until the dough comes together.

Knead the dough in the bowl for 7 minutes, until it is very soft and slightly

tacky.

Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl in a warm, draft-free place, cover, and let

rise until doubled in size. This could take anywhere from 1½ hours in a tropical

climate to 3 hours in a temperate climate or longer in a cold climate.

Grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and divide it into 6 pieces. The

dough should be very smooth and easy to work with. Form each piece into a pear

shape and place the pieces on the prepared baking sheet. Cut two slits into the

top of the bread or place optional coconut palm pieces at the top. Gently brush

the bread with water. Put the baking sheet in a warm, draft-free place, cover, and

let the dough rise for 1 to 2½ hours, until the formed breads have doubled in

size.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Re-brush the breads with some water and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes,

until golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.