Coconut Milk Bread

Coconut Bread!! Sounds weird ? No, it isn’t. Infact it has a mild coconut flavour, plus its ideal for lactose intolerant people and vegans. You may top the bread with some freshly grated coconut or dessicated coconut and make it more flavourful. Pair it with a vegetable or meat stew and relish this bread warm and fresh from the oven. I remember, I had tried to bake

this bread last year and made the dough and prepared some stew to go along with it. But unfortunately, my dough didn’t rise at all. Infact many including my daughter told me that I am getting older and would have forgotten to add yeast. But I was pretty sure that I had added yeast. Finally made some Malabar style laccha paratha with the dough.

So, people who are interested in vegan breads, can try this surely. Adjust the liquid ingredients as per the nature of your flour. Each flour absorbs water differently, so add water slowly while kneading. Make sure that your dough is soft, smooth and supple. It should bounce back when you slowly press it with your fingers. The coconut haters, don’t be scared to try this. It doesn’t have a very strong coconut flavour 🙂 As always, my cup is 240 ml. Adjust the quantity of yeast according to how powerful your yeast is. I always use Gloripan or Angel Instant yeast. Have found it to be very good and it stays for more than a year in pretty good condition, when stored in airtight containers in the freezer.

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour 375 gm
• Oats 50 gm
• Salt to taste
• Sugar 1 tsp
• Instant yeast 3/4-1 tsp
• Coconut milk 1 cup
• Coconut oil 2 tbsp
• Water 1 cup
• Sesame seeds optional

Method:

• Add oats in a pan and add around 1 cup of water and cook it over low flame till the oats are cooked well.
• Cool it or bring it to room temperature.
• Take the flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a big mixing bowl.
• Add the cooked oats and mix well.
• Now add the coconut milk slowly and start kneading.
• Sprinkle coconut oil and knead till the dough becomes soft and elastic. It will take around 10-12 minutes.
• Once the dough is smooth, soft and pliable, transfer it onto a well greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a wet towel and allow the dough to rise till it is double in size. This might take around 45-60 minutes.
• Now knock out the gases and knead the dough gently for a minute.
• Roll the dough into a rectangle and shape it into a tight loaf and place it in a well oiled bread tin. I have used a 9 by 3.5 inches aluminium bread tin.
• Smear some oil or milk or butter on the top of the loaf. Cover the bread tin with a shower cap or a big dome like lid and allow the dough to rise above the rim of the tin. This might take around 35-40 minutes or more or less depending on the weather conditions of your place and the viability of your yeast.
• Meanwhile preheat the oven at 180-200 degree Celsius for atleast 10 minutes.
• Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes till the top is golden in colour and the internal temperature of the bread is around 90-100 degree Celsius.
• Remove the tin from the oven and allow to cool the bread in the tin for 4-5 minutes.
• Transfer the bread onto a cooling/wire rack. Smear the top of the bread with some oil or butter.
• Allow the bread to cool for atleast 3 hours before slicing.
• Slice and serve it with some soup or vegetable stew.