Coco Bread (Jamaican Soft Folded Buns)
Local name: Coco bread
In short: Soft, lightly sweet Jamaican buns made with coconut milk, folded before baking and split open to hold a hot beef patty. It takes about 1 h in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Resting
- 1 h 30 min
- Total
- 1 h
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 385 kcal
Coco bread is a soft, folded Jamaican bun, best known as the bread that holds a hot beef patty, a lunchtime pairing sold across the island. The dough is enriched with coconut milk and a little sugar, shaped into ovals and folded over before baking so each bun opens like a pocket. The crumb is tender and faintly sweet, and the crust is thin and glossy with butter. It is also good with jerk chicken or ackee and saltfish.
Instructions
- Stir the warm coconut milk, water, sugar and yeast together in a bowl and leave for 5 minutes, until foamy.
- Add the flour, salt and softened butter. Mix to a shaggy dough, then knead on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each into a ball.
- Roll each ball into an oval about 15 cm (6 inches) long. Brush lightly with melted butter and fold in half along the long side.
- Place the buns on the sheets, cover loosely and let them rise for 30 minutes, until puffy.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Brush the hot buns with the remaining butter and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips
- Warm the coconut milk to about 40°C (105°F). If it is too hot it will kill the yeast, and if it is too cold the dough will rise slowly.
- Baked coco bread freezes well for 2 months. Warm the buns for 5 minutes at 160°C (325°F) before filling.
Questions and answers
Do I need coco bread for a Jamaican patty?
No, but it is the traditional pairing. Soft white rolls can stand in, and many people eat patties on their own.
Does coco bread taste like coconut?
Only faintly. The coconut milk adds richness and a soft crumb, but the bread is not strongly coconut flavored.
How do I keep coco bread soft?
Brush it with melted butter while it is still hot and store it in a sealed bag the same day. Refresh leftovers for 5 minutes in a low oven.
How long does it take to make Coco Bread (Jamaican Soft Folded Buns)?
About 1 h in total: 40 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Coco Bread (Jamaican Soft Folded Buns)?
About 385 kcal per serving, with 8 g of protein, 55 g of carbohydrates and 16 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 385 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Sodium | 500 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
