Traditional St Lucian Creole Bread Recipes

CREOLE BREAD

Steps:

• Mix together the warm water, yeast, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and 2 TABLESPOONS of flour in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. (Unusual to put flour into proofing.).
• Warm milk, oil, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and salt in the microwave for about 20 seconds-stir together and set aside. Don't let the mixture boil, you just want to heat it up a bit.
• Sift 5 cups of flour into a large bowl.
• Once the milk mixture has cooled enough that you can comfortably stick a finger in it, mix it into the yeast.
• Add all wet ingredients to the flour.
• Mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. If sticky, add flour until you have a dough that you can knead.
• Dust your counter with flour and knead the dough until smooth, about 5-8 minutes. If the dough becomes sticky as you knead just sprinkle with flour as required. You may have to add up to a cup of flour at this stage depending on the humidity of your kitchen.
• Put in greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise until double in size.
• Punch down and knead for two or three minutes.
• Make into two large or six small round balls.
• Place on a greased pan-let rise again, bake at 400 F/205 C for 30-35 minutes until the tops brown and the bottom of a loaf, when tapped, sounds hollow.

SAINT LUCIA CROWN

Steps:

• Stir saffron into warm milk. In large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in saffron-milk mixture, granulated sugar, salt, eggs, butter and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat with spoon until smooth. Stir in citron, almonds, lemon peel and enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead about 10 minutes or until smooth and springy. Grease large bowl with shortening. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover; let rise in warm place about 1 hour 30 minutes or until double in size. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)
• Grease 2 cookie sheets with shortening or cooking spray. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Cut off one-third of dough for top braid and reserve. Divide remaining dough into 3 equal parts; roll each part into 25-inch rope. Place ropes close together on cookie sheet. Braid ropes loosely; shape into circle and pinch ends to seal.
• Divide reserved dough into 3 equal parts; roll each part into 16-inch rope. Place ropes close together on second cookie sheet. Braid ropes loosely; shape into circle and pinch ends to seal. Cover both braids; let rise in warm place about 45 minutes or until double in size.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients with spoon until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over both braids. Make holes for 5 candles in small braid. Place small braid on large braid. Garnish with cherries. Insert candles.