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Roti buaya
Crocodile-shaped bread
Jakarta's crocodile-shaped wedding bread, a symbol of loyalty
IndonesianCrocodiles, to the Betawi people of Jakarta, stand for faithfulness: they are said to take one mate for life. So in a Betawi wedding procession the groom's family carries a pair of roti buaya, a large male crocodile bread and a female one, often with a baby crocodile on her back, alongside the other gifts for the bride. Once the ceremony is over the bread is cut and shared among the guests and neighbours. Old-style roti buaya was plain and firm; today's are soft, lightly sweet milk bread, and some are filled with chocolate or kaya. Eat slices with coffee or sweet tea. Snipping the scales too shallowly is a common slip, since they close up as the dough rises; cut decisively at a steep angle. Chef's tip: shape the crocodile straight on the lined tray and build it from one main log, adding only the legs, so it does not crack apart in the oven.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅓ lb strong white bread flour
- ⅓ oz instant dried yeast
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups whole milklukewarm
- 1 egg
- 2 ⅛ oz buttersoftened
To finish
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅓ lb strong white bread flour, ⅓ oz instant dried yeast, 2 ½ oz sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add 1 ¼ cups whole milk and 1 egg and mix to a soft dough.
Step 2: Knead for 5 minutes, then knead in 2 ⅛ oz butter and keep kneading for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
15 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 4: Knock back and cut off a quarter of the dough for a smaller second crocodile, if you want a pair. Cut 4 small pieces (about 40 g each) from the larger piece for legs.
Step 5: Roll the rest of the large piece into a 45 cm log, thicker at one end. On a large lined tray, flatten the thick end into a head with a pointed snout and taper the other end into a long tail curving to one side.
Step 6: Roll the leg pieces into short sausages, tuck one end under the body on each side and snip 3 toes into the other end. Press in two 4 raisins for eyes. Repeat with the small piece for a little crocodile.
Step 7: With sharp scissors held at a steep angle, snip rows of V-shaped scales all along the back and tail, about 1 cm deep.
Step 8: Cover loosely and prove for 30–40 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
35 minStep 9: Brush with 1 egg yolk. Bake the big crocodile for 30–35 minutes (the small one for about 20), until deep golden, the base sounds hollow when tapped and the thickest part reads 88–194°F.
33 minStep 10: Brush with ½ oz butter while hot and cool on the tray for 15 minutes before moving to a rack.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does roti buaya take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 145 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.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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