Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Barbadian salt bread, soft yeasted rolls with a golden crust that sound hollow when tapped, a Bajan staple best eaten warm from the oven.
Bajan salt bread is the everyday roll of Barbados: soft, a little chewy and faintly sweet, made for splitting and filling or tearing into beside a saucy stew. The name is misleading, since it isn't especially salty at all. It's simply the bread you'll find on tables across the island, and it's well worth baking a batch.
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Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min
Total 130 min
Medium
Scale:
- 2 tubs Yeast
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 6 cups Flour
- 2 1/2 cups Warm Water
Preparation
- Sift half the flour and mix it with the salt and yeast in a large bowl, then add the warm water slowly until it forms a stiff dough, working in more sifted flour until it's stiff enough to knead.
- Lightly flour the work surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then put the dough in a greased bowl.
- Leave it somewhere warm for 40 to 50 minutes until doubled. It's ready when you poke it and the indentation stays put.
- Heat the oven to 425F (220C).
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, roll each into a fist-sized ball, and set them on a greased baking sheet.
- Leave them in a warm spot for another 40 minutes, until doubled again.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Add the warm water bit by bit until the dough is stiff but still kneadable; too wet and the rolls won't hold their round shape.
- Give it the full ten minutes of kneading to build the gluten that gives the bread its soft, springy crumb.
- Prove until doubled and a poke leaves a dent that stays. Rushing this gives you heavier bread.
- Tap the base of a baked roll: a hollow sound means it's cooked through.
Frequently Asked Questions
The name is traditional rather than literal. What you get is a mildly seasoned, slightly sweet roll, not a salty one.
Yes. After the first prove, refrigerate it overnight and bring it back to room temperature before shaping.
Split and fill them with cheese, fish cakes or a fried egg, or just butter them and serve alongside soup or stew.
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