Make Trinbagonian Roast Bakes

By
Cynthia Nelson
Cynthia Nelson
Cynthia Nelson
Food columnist and blogger Cynthia Nelson is the author of "Tastes Like Home: My Caribbean Cookbook." Living in Barbados, Cynthia shares her love of the diverse food of the islands.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/31/21
Tested by
Tracy Wilk
Photo of Tracy Wilk
Tested by Tracy Wilk
Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
A plate of Trinbagonian roast bakes

The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Rest: 30 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 4 to 5 servings
Yield: 4 to 5 bakes

A "bake" is a round flatbread that is extremely popular in Caribbean cuisine. While often fried, this Trinbagonian recipe is for "bake bakes" because they're cooked in the oven. Delicious and very easy to make at home, you can enjoy bakes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

When you ask for bakes in Trinidad and Tobago, they will likely ask if you want bake bake, roast bake, or fried bake. Roast bakes are traditionally cooked on a stovetop baking stone called a tawah, and fried bakes are deep-fried. And while this is a Trinbagonian oven-baked recipe, the various forms of bakes are enjoyed all over the Caribbean.

A bake is a no-yeast bread that relies on baking powder to get a slight rise during cooking. It's a bit like a quick bread, with the exception that this dough needs to rest for half an hour before it's formed into balls and flattened. Baking produces golden rounds of bread and reduces the amount of oil and fat compared to deep-fried bakes.

Enjoy the bakes with butter or cream cheese, or serve them for breakfast alongside eggs and sausage. You can also cut them in half and fill the bread with meat, seafood, cheese, and other fillings. They make an excellent alternative to rolls when served for dinner as well.

"This easy, no-yeast bread would be perfect alongside a rich stew or any hearty, sauce-based dish. Since this is made like a quick bread, you can easily whip this up to have fresh bread in no time. I also loved that these were made in the oven vs. the more traditional fried version." —Tracy Wilk

Roast Baked
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Pinch ground cinnamon

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water

  • Vegetable oil, for the dough

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make Trinbagonian roast bakes

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  2. Add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon to a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

    A bowl of mixed dry ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  3. Rub butter into flour mixture.

    A bowl of dry ingredients with butter rubbed in

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  4. Add enough water, a few tablespoons at a time, to make a soft dough.

    A bowl of soft dough

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  5. When dough comes together, knead for 2 to 3 minutes in bowl.

    A bowl with a ball of dough

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  6. Rub oil over dough and let rest, covered, at least 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

    A bowl with a greased ball of dough

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  7. Knead rested dough for 1 minute and divide into 4 to 5 equal pieces. Form dough into balls and roll into 3 1/2-inch circles. Transfer to prepared baking sheet with adequate space between each disc.

    A baking sheet with four flat round pieces of dough

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  8. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned, and the bottom sounds hollow when rapped.

    A baking sheet with four Trinbagonion roast bakes

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  9. Cool on a wire rack, slice in half and serve as you please.

    A cooling rack with four Trinbagonian roast bakes

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

Recipe Variation

This recipe makes four to five large bakes. You can easily divide the dough into more pieces for smaller or thinner bakes. Keep in mind that the baking time could be shorter.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
420 Calories
6g Fat
80g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 5
Amount per serving
Calories 420
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 6mg 2%
Sodium 506mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 80g 29%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 261mg 20%
Iron 5mg 28%
Potassium 109mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)