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Guyanese salara
Salara: Guyana's red coconut roll, sliced into pinwheels
Walk into any bakery in Georgetown or along the Berbice coast and the salara is easy to spot: a soft, slightly sweet loaf rolled around a bright red filling of grated coconut, sugar and spice, cut so every slice shows a spiral. It is tea-time and lunch-box food, eaten with a cup of cocoa tea or a cold drink after school. The coconut is coloured with red food colouring, which is part of the look but can be left out. The usual mistake is a wet filling: if the coconut is soggy, the roll splits and the spiral gapes open as it bakes. Chef's tip: squeeze fresh grated coconut lightly in a cloth before mixing it, and roll the dough tight like a Swiss roll, pinching the seam well.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 16 oz plain flour
- ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast1 sachet
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup whole milklukewarm
- 1 ¾ oz buttersoftened
- 1 eggbeaten
For the filling
- 9 oz grated coconutfresh or frozen and thawed, lightly squeezed
- 4 oz brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp red food colouring (optional)gel or liquid
To finish
- 1 tbsp caster sugardissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz plain flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 ¾ oz caster sugar and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add ¾ cup whole milk, 1 egg and 1 ¾ oz butter and bring together into a soft dough.
Step 2: Knead on a lightly floured worktop until smooth and springy, about 8 minutes. Cover and leave somewhere warm until doubled.
70 minStep 3: Meanwhile, stir 9 oz grated coconut, 4 oz brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp vanilla extract and ½ tsp red food colouring together in a pan over a low heat for 5 minutes, until the sugar melts and the mixture looks glossy but not runny. Cool completely.
5 minStep 4: Knock back the dough and roll it into a rectangle about 30 × 40 cm. Spread the cooled filling over it, leaving a 2 cm border along one long edge.
Step 5: Roll up tightly from the other long edge, pinch the seam shut and tuck the ends under. Cut the log in half to make two loaves and set them seam-side down on a lined baking tray.
Step 6: Cover loosely and prove until puffy, about 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
30 minStep 7: Bake for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. Brush straight away with 1 tbsp caster sugar for a shiny top.
35 minStep 8: Cool on a rack before slicing into pinwheels. It keeps for 3 days wrapped, and freezes well.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does guyanese salara take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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