I am in love with this Guyanese sweet delicacy! The Salara is a soft rolled bread with a fragrant cinnamon coconut filling that is tinted red.
#twelveloaves is a great group where we bake a bread with the addition of the monthly theme, flavor or ingredient. I am pretty sure you will have a general guess as to what February inspired as a theme: red of course, for the month of Saint Valentine. We were given lots of suggestions but I wanted something really original. I was thrilled to come across this exotic Guyanese Coconut Roll recipe called Salara.
Where is Guyana?
Guyana is located in north-eastern South America. It has an Atlantic Ocean coastline in the northeast, and lies between Suriname to the east and Venezuela to the west, with Brazil to the south. The name Guyana (from Arawak Wayana) means “Land of many waters.” Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, but under socialist government until 1992.
Guyanese cuisine has a Creole/Caribbean foundation with Indian and Chinese influences. Popular dishes include curries with any meat and seafood, rotis, chow mein, cassava dishes, and stews. Homemade bread-making, an art in many villages, is a reflection of the British influence.
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Salara is a rich and sweet bread dough that is rolled out into a rectangle, covered with a coconut mixture that has been tinted with red food color, and then rolled into a log. Although I found this recipe on the Guyana Outpost site , it actually comes from the Recipe from “Caribbean Cuisine” By Dr. Betty “K”cookbook, which you can purchase at various store, such as Kohl’s and the like.
I believe the original recipe calls for freshly grated coconut flesh, so a bit wet, and has sugar added to the coconut. I did adapt the recipe by using regular store bought sweetened coconut and adding a bit of milk to it. The recipe said also to add 5 drops of food coloring. I added WAY more – like close to 1 teaspoon – to get the deep red I wanted.
The recipe makes 2 generous bread rolls. I brought one Salara to work and it was declared a big hit by every taster. Having a second complete roll at home has been dangerous: constant snacking. It is really addictive stuff! The only different thing I will do next time is I plan on doubling the filling to get more coconut goodness.
Salara (Guyanese Coconut Roll)
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 tbsp dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 egg white
Filling
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- about 1 tsp of red food colouring
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar and let stand.
- Warm the milk, combine with the yeast mixture, oil, salt, sugar and egg.
- Add flour and knead until it comes together into an elastic ball, adding a bit of flour if necessary.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise to double in size for about 1 hour.
- Combine all the filling ingredients and set aside.
- Punch down the dough and divide in half. Roll each half into an 12 inch x 8 inch rectangle, and brush with melted butter.
- Sprinkle half of the filling mixture on each rectangle of dough. Roll up lengthwise and seal all the edges. Cover and let rise until double in size.
- Brush the rolls with beaten egg white and bake at 375°F for 20 - 30 minutes, until golden.
- Cut into slices to serve.
Notes
TwelveLoaves
#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess and run with the help of Heather of All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, which runs smoothly with the help of our bakers.
This month we’ll be baking breads with a RED theme in honor of National Heart Month, Valentine’s Day, and the Oscars (red carpet) – any red ingredient goes! For more bread recipes, visit the #TwelveLoaves Pinterest board, or check out last month’s mouthwatering selection of #TwelveLoaves enter last month’s breads featuring a “new to you” type of flour!
- Braided Red Bean Bread from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
- Detroit Red Top Pizza from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Japanese Plum Wine Donuts from NinjaBaker.com
- Red Beet Challah from Savoring Italy
- Red Velvet Quick Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl from The Redhead Baker
- Roasted Red Pepper Fougasse from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
- Salara (Red Coconut Roll) from CulturEatz
- Sourdough Beet Bread from A Shaggy Dough Story
- Tomato Basil Loaf from blackberry eating in late september
If you’d like to bake along with us this month, share your “RED” themed bread using hashtag #TwelveLoaves!
This post contains a sponsored link by Discountrue.
Check out more South American recipes here:
I am from Guyana and I love salara. I made this today and it came out perfect. If you ever go to New York City you have to go to a bakery in Queens called Sybil’s they have the best bread!!
I was just there between Xmas and NYE, I wish I had known this. Next time for sure.
Ok the recipe sounded great until she said that she added food coloring.. I would substitute the food coloring with Beet Juice.. You would get that beautiful deep red without the unhealthy red food dye ewww
Beet juice would make a great healthier alternative indeed, thanks for sharing!
This Salara looks and sounds delicious! I think it would perfect to eat this for breakfast with coffee or tea. And I love the red color. It gives out the Valentine vibe. 🙂
Thank you Naji glad you like it, breakfast, snack, dessert, good any time 🙂
I love the look and sound of this bread. And lately I’ve been watching a BBC show (Death in Paradise – do you know it?) set in the Caribbean, so I’ve been craving some food with those roots. Fun pick for the RED theme!
Thanks Heather. I have heard of the show but not see it, will check it out!
So pretty! Such a sucker for coconut.
Thanks Lynn 🙂 is is a pretty bread!
This does look super fun to make! I’m really big on sweet rolls for breakfast and tea time and making a swirl bread does sound like fun! I need to surprise my tea time partner with this. Thanks Evelyne!
Thank MJ and yes it is fun to make and so tasty, let me know if you do 🙂
The colour is certainly vibrant, even after baking ?
Yes but with the help of lots of food coloring lol. Very pretty.
I’ve never heard of salara, nor do I think I’ve ever had Guyanese food, but these look scrumptious! The bread alone sounds like a great recipe, but throw in that cinnamon filling and you’ve got me 🙂
It was all new to me to exploring food from this country. Yeah the bread is a nice sweet dough too, could do many things with it.
I really love that being a part of this group means going around the world with all kinds of different recipes, and being to exposed to something new. I’ve never heard of salara before, but I really would like a piece of it now. I’d love to try making it with fresh coconut which is abundant here.
I love that to Felice! And yeah half way making it I realized the recipe meant fresh coconut meat. It would be nice to try again with it.
Eve, I had no idea what Guyana is or where is it on the map!!! I had to google it and see for myself 🙂 thanks for the info dear. Like you loaf a lot seems really addicting.
I knew of the country but just vaguely, glad it is a new discovery for you! Yep dangerous bread, cannot not have just 1 slice.
My first experience with salara was ironically at a Caribbean restaurant in Vancouver. It’s so good! It was served as before-the-meal bread, and I wish they had brought more. You did a great job making it!
No way, you are the only one who knows of it so far. Thanks!
Bring in the tea, this would be perfect for it
LOL yes it would go so well together!
Thanks for the geography refresher! I kinda sorta know where Guyana is, but it’d take me 10 or 15 seconds of searching the map to find it. Anyway, great recipe! Love coconut, so you made this for me, didn’t you? Really good — thanks.
Yeah I had a vague idea of where it was too but good to recheck lol. Of course I made it for you, come over to have a slice.
I really think I officially cannot bake anything in my kitchen anymore — Because I am growing another butt. LOL!!!
Maybe we can be 3 butt besties lol
This is looks so good! Can’t wait to try it ♥
summerdaisy.net
Thanks Summer, let me know how it turns out!
I love the recipes that you do Eve! I can’t say that I know anything about Guyanese cuisine but now I do 😀
Neither did I till I found this recipe lol, but want to explore now.
You had me with cinnamon! I am practically addicted to that thing!
Then if you make the bread add extra Katerina, it can handle more 🙂
What a cool idea for this theme! This bread is gorgeous! I love learning about breads from different cultures.
So glad you like the bread Karen!
Evelyne, this is such a beautiful loaf of bread…I have never had anything like this, and the filling of cinnamon and coconut is very intriguing. Thanks for sharing such an interesting recipe.
Have a wonderful week 🙂
My pleasure to share Juliana, hope you get to taste it.
What a beautiful bread roulade! That coconut filling sounds really super, Evelyne.
It is so good and addictive Angie 🙂
The cinnamon coconut filling sounds wonderful! What a pretty loaf!
Thanks Liz, the filling is awesome and yes very happy with the pretty factor lol. Hope you try it.
This is beautiful! I’ve never come across a red coconut filling before…unique and doable. Love the new look of your blog too.
Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 The theme will change at some point. And glad you like the bread!
Love your blog Evelyne! I learn so much…Thank you for the intro to Guyana and the recipe for luscious looking Guyanese coconut roll. Simply gorgeous!…Ps. My brother lives in Brazil so it’s good to know about the country and cuisine which neighbors him =)
Thank you Kim for your awesome words! It was my first time doing a Guyanese recipe too. So cool about your brother, have you visited him there?
What gorgeous loaves! I am so into this bright red coconut filling…I have never heard of it before!! I’m so happy you shared it with the group for our theme:))
Thank you Lora! It was a new discovery for me too!
What an interesting recipe! I never even heard of a place named Guyana – I’m much better at cooking than geography 😉 This Salara looks delicious – such a beautiful and exotic treat! I also love the texture of the dough on it – perfect!
Thanks Melanie, glad it was an intro to a recipe and country. it was super fun to make and tastes so good!