Yeast! Flour! Sugar!

Guess what people, I'm finally back in the kitchen and back cooking. I've learnt from an awesome university course that people should eat their power foods. Power foods are those foods that basically go with your body and have been in your culture for millenia. I study in Canada, but I'm born and bred in the sweet Helene of the West, St. Lucia. The moment I get to eat anything remotely similar to what I eat at home, it lifts my spirit and I feel awesome. So I'm trying to learn how to do a few things that are from home, and possibly, most likely actually, from other Caribbean Islands.

Today I'm going to make bakes. From my discussions is basically a fried bread mixture. I've also decided that I'm going to do it the "real Lucian way" and not use any measurements. I enjoy cooking that way. It makes me feel like I know what I'm doing...although half the times I don't hahahaha.

So here is what I do.
Add flour, baking powder, a little salt and some yeast to a bowl.

In a cup add sugar and dissolve with water.
Pour sugar solution into bowl and fold with spoon until dough is formed. If a bit runny, add more flour. It's easier to add more flour if it's not right (that's what I was told)
Add as much flour is needed to make the dough...doughy lol.
Let sit for a few minutes.

Knead dough.
Roll dough out into a long snake, about an incha nd a half thick and cut sections off about an inch wide.
Take the each cut part (individually) and roll it into a ball, then using a floured rolling pin roll it out to a thickness of one centimeter(ish).


To fry bakes: Add some oil to a pan, with burner on high. WHen oil heats up turn burner down to medium heat. Place a few bakes in the oil. You want them to be a golden brown colour or a little lighter, or darker depending on your taste. When ready and both sides have been cooked, remove from oil and dry on paper towel or cardboard or something to soak up the extra oil. I was told butter cannot be used in place of oil. It won't work.

Ooops...I forgot to turn down the fire lol. But they tasted good for my first try on my own :)

To make roast bakes: Use a dry frying pan, non-stick might be the best but if you don't have a non-stick just add a little flour to the pan. Place the bakes in the pan and let them cook lol. They should rise a little and start turning a bit brown. It may not be perfectly leveled so the entire thing may not start changing colour so you have to be careful. You don't want it brown brown, you want it more white with brown. Cook on both sides. Remove when done.

If you want to jazz up your bake as you take it out, cut it open and slip some cheese in there. Be careful because it will be hot. Mmmm mmmm mmmmm tastes sooo goood. Yummy.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes for you :) Happy cooking!