Guyanese Bakes is a traditional Guyanese recipe for a classic fried yeasted bread that's the local equivalent of Johnny cakes and which are served for breakfast and as accompaniment. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Guyanese version of: Guyanese Bakes.
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These are the Guyanese version of Johnny cakes, fluffy and pillowy fried breads that are a breakfast staple with saltfish stew. They are also served as accompaniments to curries and stews.
Ingredients:
420g plain (all purpose) flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp active, dried, yeast
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tbsp butter at room temperature
100g brown sugar
200ml warm water
350ml sunflower oil (or similar) for frying
Method:
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Scatter over the yeast then whisk to combine. Rub 2 tbsp of the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly.
Dissolve the sugar in the warm water then form a well in the centre of the flour mix. Pour in the sugar water then mix the flour into the liquid ingredients to form a smooth dough. Lightly knead the shape into a soft ball (do not over-work the dough or it will not be soft).
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl then rub the remaining tablespoon of butter over the top of the dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes knock the dough back if needed, dived into 8 equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. You can do this by cupping the dough ball in your hand and gently rolling it on a clean surface. You can also roll it between your palms.
When ready to cook, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Then press each piece of dough out on a floured surface until it is a flat disk about 12mm thick. When the oil is hot, add a pressed out dough to the pan then immediately start to spoon hot oil over the bake until it swells.
Continue to cook the bake until it is golden brown (about 90 seconds) on the side that is in the oil. Then flip over and continue to cook until the other side is also completely brown (about 1 minute).
Remove from the oil and wrap in a clean kitchen towel. Repeat the frying process for the remaining pieces of dough.
Traditionally this is split open and stuffed with saltfish for breakfast.
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