What’s Cooking is a series in which I answer questions and share advice about food and cooking that you have but may be too shy to ask.
There are few things that are as alluring as hot, soft, fluffy, fried bakes. Floats, as some would describe them. Depending on how thick you roll the dough, they can be meaty on the inside or thinner, creating pockets for all sorts of inserts, fried salt fish being the most popular. Very often, I like to eat the first bake just so, to taste the texture and flavour. I also like it with a daub of butter. Bakes are life. It’s fried dough that puts a smile on everyone’s face.
Bakes, unlike loaf breads or certain types of roti, are not an everyday thing in many households, more like a weekend treat, when there is time, or for an evening meal accompanied by steaming cups of tea, cocoa, Milo, or Ovaltine. Float-bakes are deep fried and because of this we all seek to find ways to make somewhat “healthier” versions to compensate for the frying. I have on several occasions and am here to report that, in my opinion, the best fried bakes are the ones made with regular white all-purpose flour. That has the texture I find to be the best and in terms of the oil factor when it comes to frying, it surpasses that of bakes made with other types of grains/flour. The white all-purpose flour absorbs a lot less oil and reduces the time spent cooking in the oil.