Trinbago Recipes

Cook Trinbago, one pot at a time

Find a recipe

Hops Bread

Small, round Trinidad bread rolls with a thin, crisp crust and a soft, airy inside. Split warm for ham and hops at Christmas.

Breakfast and Bakes

  • 2 hr 40 min est.
  • Serves 12
  • Medium
Jump to recipe
Trini

Hops bread is the small, round, crusty roll sold warm in bakeries across Trinidad and Tobago, and at Christmas it is the bread for ham and hops. The crust is thin and crackly and the inside soft and light, so it pulls apart easily.

It is a simple yeasted dough: flour, yeast, a little sugar and fat. A good knead and two rises give it its texture.

A pan of water in the oven makes steam, which is what gives hops its crisp crust.

The recipe

Hops Bread

Prep
30 min
Cook
25 min
Rising
1 hr 45 min
Total
2 hr 40 min
Serves
12
Makes
12 rolls

Times and quantities are our best estimates. This recipe is still being kitchen-tested, so trust your eyes and taste as you go.

Ingredients

Tick items off as you gather them.

Method

Make the dough

  1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the shortening.
  2. Add the warm water a little at a time, mixing, until you have a soft dough that is only slightly sticky.
  3. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface, until smooth and springy.
  4. Put in an oiled bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled.

Shape

  1. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a tight ball by tucking the edges underneath.
  2. Set them on a lined baking tray, a little apart, and flatten each slightly. Cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.

Bake

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with an empty pan on the bottom shelf.
  2. Pour a cup of hot water into the empty pan to make steam, put the rolls in and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
  3. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before splitting.

Serve it with

  • Warm, split, with sliced Christmas ham and chow chow
  • With butter and cheese, or buljol

Substitutions

  • Butter: gives a softer, richer roll; the rolls are then not vegan.
  • Whole wheat: replace up to 1 cup (125 g) of the flour with whole wheat flour and add a splash more water.

Storing and reheating

  • Best the day they are baked. Keep in a paper bag for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Warm in the oven to crisp the crust again.

Cook's notes

  • The dough should be soft; a stiff dough makes dense rolls.
  • In a cool kitchen the rises take longer; go by size, not the clock.

https://trinbagorecipes.com/recipes/hops-bread/

You might cook this next

Breakfast and Bakes

Coconut Bake

A round, tender oven bread enriched with fresh grated coconut. Split it warm for breakfast with buljol, cheese or butter.

  • 1 hr 10 min est.
  • Easy

Breakfast and Bakes

Saltfish Buljol

Flaked salt cod tossed with tomato, onion, sweet pepper, hot pepper and olive oil. A no-cook breakfast filling for bake.

  • 35 min est.
  • Easy