Hard dough bread is one of the best creation since sliced bread. It holds up well as a sandwich and it virtually goes with anything. There is a lot of similarity with the ingredients used to make most bread, yet they are not all made the same way and similarly, they don’t all taste great. I love this bread because of its buttery flavor, the hint of sweetness but mostly its soft and chewy texture.
When I was little, I always looked forward to the days my grandfather would get freshly baked hard dough bread from the bakery. Now that I have been living outside of Jamaica, bread, like most of our traditional foods, are only available at the West Indian supermarkets. And while it is great to have access to some of my childhood foods, they usually come with a heft price tag. I was happy when I finally learned how to make this bread at home and now I can share this recipe with you.
WHAT IS HARD DOUGH BREAD?
In Jamaica, hard dough bread is a commonly consumed bread. It is dense and chewy with a slight sweetness. It’s the best bread to have with butter, porridge, sandwiches, and it pairs well with jerk chicken.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE IT
1. Flour
2. Sugar
3. Milk
4. Butter
6. Salt
7. Water
HOW TO MAKE HARD DOUGH BREAD
1. Add all your dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
2. Add your wet ingredients and knead your dough.
3. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
4. Roll out your dough into a log and place it in a greased baking pan.
5. Rest for 1 hour or until the loaf doubles in size.
6. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes
7. Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.
8. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.
FAQS
Can I use cold butter? While butter in general adds flavor to baked goods, not all of them are created equally. Although melted butter creates a soft bread, it doesn’t have the same density that you would get from hard dough bread. Cold butter, on the other hand, as a similar density but it results in a crispy crust. My recommendation is to stick with softened butter.
Can I use dry yeast? Yes, but you will need to proof the yeast.
How do I proof yeast? You will need to add the dry yeast to the lukewarm water and milk and let it sit for 15 minutes. When it starts to foam, then you know it is ready and you can add it to your flour mixture. After adding the yeast mixture to the dough, you will need to rest the dough for an hour instead of the initial ten minutes. Then you can proceed with the remaining recipe steps.
STORAGE TIPS
The bread will last for up 4 days at room temperature. After the bread has cooled completely, wrap it in foil or cling wrap and store it in a Ziploc bag or air-tight container.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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JAMAICAN HARD DOUGH BREAD
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Softened Salted Butter
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 1 cup Lukewarm Water
- ¼ cup Lukewarm Milk
- 1 tbsp Instant Yeast
- 4 cups Flour
Instructions
- Add all your dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
- Add your wet ingredients and knead your dough.
- Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll out your dough into a log and place it in a greased baking pan.
- Rest for 1 hour or until the loaf doubles in size.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes
- Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.
