Guyanese Bakes (Floats)

Ingredients 

1 cup Warm water

1/2 cup Brown sugar

3 cups All Purpose Flour plus more for dusting work surface

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter may use vegan butter, coconut oil or cooking oil

4 cups cooking oil high smoke point oil like sunflower, grapeseed, avocado

Instructions 

1. Add the brown sugar and warm water to a small mixing bowl and mix together until sugar crystals completely dissolve. Set aside.
2. Then add the flour, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix together well then add the butter and mix in using your finger tips. Mix until the butter combines to form a crumbly texture.
3. Next make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the sugar water solution you set aside earlier. Mix together to form a soft dough ball.
4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead well into a smooth ball. This should take about 5 minutes. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 – 45 minutes.
5. After the dough has rested for at least 30 minutes, turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide into 9 pieces. Knead each piece into a smooth ball cover and rest again for at least 15 minutes.
6. When ready to cook, add the oil to a large saucepan deep enough for deep frying and heat up on medium heat. The oil should be about 300°F. If you bring it to 350° F (the regular temperature for deep frying, your bakes will burn and the inside will be raw).
7. While the oil is heating up, on a floured surface, roll each dough ball into a flat disk. Then when the oil is hot submerge the rolled out dough, into the oil. The dough will initially sink to the bottom of the pot, then it will rise to the surface and begin to swell.

• After about 1 to 1 ½ minutes or when the side of the bake that is in the oil is brown, flip the bake over to brown the top side. Once both sides are brown, remove from the oil and place in a dish towel lined bowl. Cover the bakes with the dish towel to keep warm while you fry the other bakes. Repeat the frying steps for the remaining 8 dough balls.
• Serve warm with some delicious, sautéed salt fish. (Metemgee)