For this week, I have chosen an interesting theme. Valli shared with us a list of countries and asked us to choose an alphabet and then choose three countries starting with the same alphabet and make three dishes for the week from the three countries chosen. I immediately went for the alphabet B. Ever since one of my readers asked me to post the Bahamian coconut bread, I have been itching to try it. So this was a nice opportunity to try and so chose B. For the first day, it is the Bimini bread from Bahamas.
Bahamas consists of nearly 700 islands in the Atlantic ocean and Bimini is one such island. And the coconut bread so popular there is called as the Bimini bread or Island sweet bread. When I was looking for recipes for Bimini bread, I came across so many blogs which have high praises for the bread. Made with coconut milk and fresh grated coconuts added, this bread is slightly sweet and is so full of coconut flavour. Every bakery starts working on the dough at 4 am and you can get fresh Bimini bread hot out of oven from 8 am at local bakeries. I even read about a home baker who makes amazing Bimini breads and is quite popular there.
All the recipes I saw had eggs in the dough and I twisted the recipe to make it egg free. The bread turned out amazing. Plain breads are available all year round in bakeries and for celebration they add raisins in the dough. I wanted to add raisins, but I didn’t have it in my fridge, so skipped it. If you have then add it while kneading the dough. It would amplify the taste. I toasted this bread and served it along with butter for Sruti’s lunch and she loved it so much. Even I tried two slices with an egg omelette sandwiched together. It was so yum. We usually use milk for kneading bread dough, but this recipe uses coconut milk and it is surprisingly good. Try to make it at home for the best flavour as store bough won’t give you that amazing flavour. I even used coconut oil instead of refined oil. But use whichever oil you have at home. You can even use melted butter instead.
Recipe Source: True Bahamian Food Tours
Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour / Maida – 2 1/4 cups
Salt – 1 1/4 tsp
Sugar – 3 tbs
Instant Yeast – 1 tsp
Grated Fresh Coconut – 1/2 cup, tightly packed
Coconut Milk – 1 cup + 2 tbs
Coconut Oil – 3 tbs
Procedure:
In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
Add coconut, coconut milk and coconut oil and knead to form a slightly sticky dough.
Keep kneading the dough on counter for 10 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic.
Cover with cling film and set it aside until double in volume.
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Punch the dough down and shape it into a rectangle.
Now start rolling it into a tight log and pinch ends.
Grease a 4″ * 8″ loaf tin and place the log seam side down.
Cover and set it aside for 20 minutes.
Bake the bread in preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes.
Remove from oven, allow it to cool for a few minutes before flipping it on to a wire rack.
Allow it to cool completely.
Slice it up and serve.
Egg Free Bimini Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour / Maida - 2 1/4 cups
- Salt - 1 1/4 tsp
- Sugar - 3 tbs
- Instant Yeast-1 tsp
- Grated Fresh Coconut - 1/2 cup tightly packed
- cup Coconut Milk - 1+ 2 tbs
- Coconut Oil - 3 tbs
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
- Add coconut, coconut milk and coconut oil and knead to form a slightly sticky dough.
- Keep kneading the dough on counter for 10 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic.
- Cover with cling film and set it aside until double in volume.
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Punch the dough down and shape it into a rectangle.
- Now start rolling it into a tight log and pinch ends.
- Grease a 4" * 8" loaf tin and place the log seam side down.
- Cover and set it aside for 20 minutes.
- Bake the bread in preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven, allow it to cool for a few minutes before flipping it on to a wire rack.
- Allow it to cool completely.
- Slice it up and serve.
Hi Ma’am,
Cannot use gluten free flour instead of maida for this recipe. Do I have to use xanthan gum if I use gluten free flour.
Yes, if using gluten free flour, you might need something to bind the dough. Gum would be the best choice.
The crumb of the bread looks amazing, and definitely that all out coconut usage is waking up the Keralite in me… bookmarked!
Must be a flavorful bread,perfectly done and the bread got a very nice texture.
The bread looks sinful Gayathri..so soft and crumb looks fantastic..wonderful choice!
Wow..Reading the explanation about this bimini Bread and the picture just made me drooling. I wanted to try it right away.
Wow! Totally coconut flavor. Coconut oil, coconut milk and grated coconut. It is heaven for coconut lovers. Beautiful bread as well. The crumb looks amazing.
Oh my Gayathri, I want to try this coconut bread right away 🙂 looks so soft and packed with coconut flavor. I think my family will LOVE this. Pinned!!
Coconut flavor must have a given a very nice taste to the bread.
I’m in awe with this bread Gayathri. What a perfect texture this coconutty bread has got. Bookmarking it to make when baking bug with bite me again 🙂
Bahamas coconut bread looks super soft and spongy with prefect crust and crumb. I dont mind having few slices with some spicy filling in it.
This bread must be an amazing one, with that punch of coconut flavor infused in it.
love all the different forms of coconut you used. Bread came out so nice and soft
I am in love with this recipe Gayathri. I am bookmarking to try soon. I am so looking forward to tasting the bread with the coconut flavor.
This is actually awesome having home made bread. looks perfect spongy, texture and soft. I tried baking bread but still has not come perfectly any of them. loved your baking skills.
Wow Gayatri! It looks amazing I will love to try it the coconut flavour must be amazing.
Wow.. this bread looks so beautiful and iinteresting.. i can eat this bread without any topping,
Hi! I’m vegan and was so excited to find this recipe for the Bahamian Coconut Bread. We are actually in the Bahamas right now and everyone is eating coconut bread and I wanted some. I’ve made it twice so far (and my husband says it’s better than the local store bought!!). I wanted to ask you, how long do you think the first rise takes. I let it rise for almost 2.5 hours today and it didn’t double (and it’s warm here). Any suggestions? Thanks!
Thank you so much for trying it out. Usually first rise takes one hour if the climate is hot. If it is not rising, then try a fresh pack of yeast. Yeast is the only reason for dough not rising even after 2.5 hours.