Galley Goodness: Bahamian Coconut Bread Loaf

This recipe is inspired by the homemade loaves of bread we get from every small Bahamian settlement. Locals make either plain, sweet white bread or sweet coconut bread — they’re both exceptional, but the coconut bread really blows us away. It’s unique, islandy, and thoroughly Bahamian.

For the record, our favorite loaves come from Sid’s Groceries on Green Turtle Cay or Vernon’s Shop in Hope Town, but that’s just us. They’re all great but all slightly different.

We love to eat this bread fresh out of the oven with a bit of butter. Along with a cup of tea (or a sip of Ricardo Coconut Rum!), there are few better afternoon treats. 

Not much makes it to day two, but if enough does, my second favorite use is whipping it into thick-sliced French toast for breakfast.

An Authentic Knockoff — Bahamas Sweet Coconut Bread Recipe

• 1/2 cup warm water or milk 
• 1 tbs or one package of instant-rise yeast
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (a little more if you want it sweeter)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (alternate: 3 cups all-purpose flour, omit whole wheat)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 CAN (approx. 6 oz or 2/3 cup) of coconut milk 

(Hint: Use a mixer or food processor if you have it — whatever your preferred method of making bread onboard is. I have a food processor just for stuff like this.)

1. Proof yeast: Mix warm water or milk (max 110º F) with sugar and yeast in a large bowl (or processor or mixer). Allow the mixture to bloom for 10 minutes. It should become frothy and aromatic. If nothing happens, it’s dead, Jim.

2. Add salt and flour and stir to combine.

3. Add oil, then add the coconut milk in batches. As the dough thickens, knead in the rest of the coconut oil until you have a thick bread dough. 

5. Knead the dough for at least five minutes by hand or the dough cycle on your processor, then let rise in a warm spot until about doubled in volume.

6. rerun the dough cycle, or turn it out on a floured surface and knead one final time. Put it in a floured loaf pan and let it rise again somewhere warm.

7. Bake 350º to GBD (golden-brown and delicious). Use a water pan in the oven to raise the humidity and keep the loaf nice and soft. Omitting the water pan will result in a thicker, crunchier crust.

Bahama Coconut Loaf Chef’s Notes

• You might notice that I’ve modified this recipe to be mixed in a single bowl or mixer. In your land kitchen, you could use more proper breadmaking techniques and multiple bowls.
• As noted in the ingredients, you can make a half-and-half with whole wheat or use only all-purpose flour. Whole wheat is delicious because it adds another level of nuttiness to the bread, and mixing it with half all-purpose keeps the loaf light. 
• You could add unsweetened coconut flakes to the dough during the final kneading for extra coconut goodness.
• If you use the Omnia stovetop oven, avoid the urge to try making an entire donut-shaped loaf. Instead, reduce the recipe by half and make small rolls. Another option we like is to use the Omnia silicone muffin tray, which keeps the dough softer and lets the rolls puff up more. 
• If you have a sourdough starter, you could add a little discard to the mix in place of other liquids (depending on how watery your starter is). However, this is supposed to be a light, yeasty, sweet bread, so it’s a less-than-ideal use for your starter.

Let us know in the comments how it turns out!