Guyanese Style Bakes or Floats is such staple in my home. They are the ultimate breakfast food, most enjoyed on the weekend with sautéed salt fist. My recipe for Sweet Guyanese style bakes was one of the first recipes on my blog, but over time my method and ingredients changed so I am sharing this simple remix! This new recipe is another way of making perfect, fluffy and soft fried bakes or float with a slightly crunchy exterior.
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Differences in the two Guyanese Style Bakes recipes:
- The biggest difference in the two recipes is the introduction of some fat into the dough. I used coconut oil, but you can use butter, lard, ghee or even some cooking oil.
- Second difference is that I roll the dough into a giant flat dish then use a biscuit or hand pie cutter to cut it into circular bakes. See video. You can cut your bakes into any shape. My mom always cut her bakes into triangles. Have little helpers? They can cut the dough into shapes like dinosaurs or hearts and stars. My children love using different shapes for their own unique bake cutouts.
Tips for making the best dough for Guyanese Style Bakes
Making a smooth pliable dough will result in the best bake texture. Use these tips to ensure you always get the best results:
- Always measure your flour properly so that you do not end up with more flour than the recipe needs. Here's a link to a great article on measuring flour. Measuring the flour ensures that the liquid to dry ingredients ratio is accurate and will help with the texture of the dough once you begin to knead it.
- Always let your dough rest! Trust me, I've made bakes in a rush and it is better to just let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes so that the gluten can activate. When the dough becomes a bit stretchy and doesn't break apart, it is ready!
- Dissolve the sugar in warm water. For many years I added the sugar directly to the flour. Sometimes the larger sugar crystals do not dissolve during mixing or frying and would create a bumpy texture on the outside of the finished bakes. Dissolving the sugar with warm water first gives the bakes a really smooth texture on the outside.
Tips for Frying Guyanese Style Bakes
Guyanese Style Bakes are deep fried. For best results use a pot that will allow the bakes to have enough room to float above the oil and cook. This is why they are also called floats. Here are a few more bake frying tips:
- If you use a frying pan to fry your bakes, you will likely have to spoon oil over the bakes. I avoid using frying pans because they are shallow and the bakes rest on the surface of the frying pan. When this happens the part of the bakes resting on the frying pan will brown faster than the sides and the bakes will have an uneven color
- Use an oil with a high smoke point when frying your bakes. Avocado oil or sunflower oil are my preferred oil for frying Guyanese style bakes.
- Keep your oil at a constant temperature. I keep my oil around 325°F. If you don't have a kitchen thermometer, you can achieve this by keep your heat on medium or just a little below medium. This ensures even cooking throughout.
- Don't overcrowd your bakes. You may be tempted to fry several bakes at once to speed up the process, but try not to over crowd the pan. Two bakes at max is what I recommend for seasoned cooks, one bake at a time if you are a beginner.
The Updated Easy to Follow Bakes/Float Video Tutorial:
Frequently Asked Questions about Guyanese Styled Bakes/Floats
- Can I use less sugar in this recipe? You absolutely can. This recipe is flexible, if you need to adjust the sugar for any reason please do.
- Can I use yeast in this recipe? Many people make floats with yeast instead of baking powder. Substitute all of the baking powder in this recipe with ½ teaspoon of dry active yeast. Add the yeast to the sugar water solution and allow it to bloom before adding to the dry ingredients
- Why is my dough stiff and not soft? This happens when you don't have enough liquids for the dry ingredients. See tips above on how to measure your flour correctly.
- Why aren't my bakes rising like yours? This happens for a number for reasons:
- Not using enough oil to fry the bake (see tips above)
- Using cold or old baking powder
- Not allowing the dough to rest before shaping and frying
- Not allowing the oil to come up to temperature before frying
- Having a stiff dough that is not smooth and pliable, therefore creating cracks on the surface of the bakes and preventing it from puffing up
- Overcrowding your pan so the bakes don't have enough room to rise
- Why are my bakes stiff?: This is typically caused from not having a soft enough dough, or not letting your dough rest before cooking.
- What can I serve my Guyanese Style bakes with? Bakes are typically served with fish. Here are a few options:
Printable Recipe Card
Guyanese Style Bakes /Floats
Bakes or Floats is a slightly sweet dough that is deep fried. It is enjoyed for breakfast in Guyana and across the Caribbean.
Servings: 12 Bakes
Ingredients
- 3 cups of All Purpose Flour plus more for dusting work surface
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of warm water
- 1 tablespoon of fat coconut oil, butter, shortening, ghee or cooking oil
- 4 cups of oil for frying sunflower, grapeseed, avocado or canola oil
Instructions
- Add brown sugar and warm water to a small mixing bowl and mix together until sugar crystals completely dissolve
- Then add flour, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl
- Mix together well then add the fat (coconut oil, butter, ghee, oil) to the dry ingredients and mix in using finger tips until a crumbly texture forms
- Then make a well in the center of your ingredients and add the sugar water solution to the center
- Next mix together the sugar water solution and the dry ingredients to form a soft dough, you may dust with a little bit of flour if the dough is too sticky
- Then turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead well into a smooth ball
- Place the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes
- After the dough has rested for 30 minutes, turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll (with a rolling pin) until it is about ⅛ of an inch thick
- Then using a cookie, biscuit or hand pie cutter large enough for palm size circles, cut the dough into 12 circular pieces (see video for method with zero dough wasted). For this step you can also use a round bowl or the cover/lid of a round container
- Next add 4 cups of oil to a medium sized stock pot or frying pan, on medium to high heat. Please ensure pot is large and deep enough for deep frying. Here's a linkto the pan I used in the video.
- Bring the oil up to temperature
- Then add your cut out bake dough to the oil. You may cook 1-3 bakes per time if your pot can accommodate it
- Cook bake for about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown, then flip to the other side and fry for another minute or so or until bake is golden brown
- Remove from the oil and place in a bowl lined with a few sheets of paper towel or a kitchen towel
- Continue steps 12-14 until all the bakes are cooked
- Serve warm with some salt fish!
Deborah says
Yes, we still call it bake
Althea Brown says
Right 1 bake 2 bake?
Corletta Hamilton says
I find that I have to add a bit more water than the recipe asks for as the dough was a bit tough.
Kamal Fazil says
Hi.
Great recipes
When making the bakes, what is the temperature of your cooking oil?
Althea Brown says
Hi there, it is just about 350 but don't let it go above 375 or the bakes will be raw in the middle.
Kamal Fazil says
This is the very best bakes recipe ever.
No one can top this, amazing bakes
SB says
Metemgee bake recipe is my absolute favorite! Precise details, including the temperature of the oil. Thank you!!
queenella kingston says
i use them rescipe and de bake in even fry it taste like raw fish
Michelle says
I tried this recipe and this was the first time my float bakes came out so good. They actually swelled up and stayed soft and so yummy!!!
Althea Brown says
Yay! Thank you for sharing.
Cullen Kong says
I just finished cooking and eating mine with some bacalo...hmm hmm good! Thanks
Asha M says
This bake recipe is the bees knees. I’ve been using it quite a bite over the last few months and my bakes are always soft and delicious. Thanks for taking the time to test recipes so that we all can enjoy delicious treats!🤤🤤
Jinell Ann says
So i just tired the recipe, it's my first time making it but to my surprise it was okay 😂
Thanks for sharing the recipe💜
Nicole says
With this recipe, Bakes are perfection every time !
Naz R says
What an awesome recipe. Made it this weekend and everyone loved it.
Thank you so much!
Naz
Alana says
This is my go to recipe for bakes. I half the sugar and it still tastes delicious. I could have people thinking that I can actually cook with this recipe. 🤣
Babs says
Love this recipe. My bakes looked like a pufferfish.. They were soft and Fluffy and yessssss... Delicious. It was a bit on the sweeter side so next time I will use less sugar. My kids enjoyed it. Thank you so much for sharing... Xoxo
Althea Brown says
You’re welcome.
Irene says
Why are they called floats? I've always known them as bakes. These are what Indians call bathura, it's an Indian dish originally brought from the Indians, but the name was changed mistakenly because people could not speak Hindi. A friend of ours who is of Indian nationality and lived in Guyana explained this to me. Instead of Bathura it was shortened to baith and thus we got the word bake. I only recently noticed everyone calling it floats, I never knew this while living in Guyana.
Shanti says
I think because when you fry them and they start to float you can soon eat them (and start to bloat).
I miss my Grano so much. Eating these are sure to make me cry (happy tears).
Candacy S says
Indeed! That’s why they’re called floats. And we have several kind of “bakes” in Guyana. So to differentiate we’d say “float or float bake.”
Amanda R says
Always love this recipe. I want to make ahead and freeze it refrigerate the dough. Has anyone ever tried? Any thoughts?
Danielle says
My first time trying and they came out great! Everyone loved them, thank you. I was reluctant to try for years only because I thought it would be hard and I would screw it up and I didn't. I was never really good at frying, and this made me more confident. Thank you again.
Althea Brown says
Thanks for sharing and so glad it came out great
Jo says
Perfect. Mi eat dem off real quick
Althea Brown says
❤️❤️❤️
Zamina says
Thank you, this recipe was delicious 😋
Althea Brown says
So glad you liked it
Chi says
Hi,
My bake won't puff up.
They float up to the top but won't puff up.
I've tried FIVE TIMES! Each time with baking powder, lukewarm water and yeast.
What do you think I'm doing wrong?
Khaleel Mohammed says
Possibly outdated baking powder. And ensure you mix the dry ingredients well...and allow the 30 minute or more period for setting. This is just my fallible opinion.
V.W says
Metemgee is God sent, since quarantine I have been following her recipes and they all taste just like my grandmother and moms. Thank you so much for sharing yout craft with us:-)
Althea Brown says
Thank you!
SB says
Easy to follow recipe & perfectly delicious every time!!
Althea Brown says
Thank you, thank you!
Nyasha says
I tried these while I am by my friend and they came out peeeeeerfect! Now I have to be making bakes every other day for bfast.
Althea Brown says
Love it. Thank you.
Derek says
Thank you for this ! It’s hard to have my mom teach me when all she says it’s “e easy, yuh jus put lil flowah and yuh bakin powda and yuh fry am” haha but she makes triangle, do you have a video making it triangle way? I want to impress my mom
Khaleel Mohammed says
Possibly outdated baking powder. And ensure you mix the dry ingredients well...and allow the 30 minute or more period for setting. This is just my fallible opinion.
Meme says
Soo Soo good
Maria says
Easy to follow and delicious
Alina says
My sister made bakes for us using your recipe. They were the best bakes we’ve ever had.
Lisa says
My favourite Guyanese breakfast food! Yum!
Natisha Nina says
Best bake recipe! Always a hit! Absolute perfection!
Alicia says
Hi I live your blog and have been following for some time now. This is my 3rd time attempting to make float bakes. 1st tune they didn’t rise when were too flat and wasn’t sweet enough. 2nd time they came out too thick and dense. 3rd time I added more butter the bakes came out nice and buttery but when drying soaked up all the oil. Please tell me why?
Althea Brown says
Hi I am sorry that you are struggling with this recipe. I have to ask if you are following it exactly as written, because with the amount of baking powder and the amount of oil, the bake should rise. Also if you want your bakes to be sweeter you can try my other recipe for Guyanese sweet bakes. And yes too much butter will make your bakes soggy. That's why it is important to follow the recipe as written.
Amanda R says
Always love this recipe. I want to make ahead and freeze it refrigerate the dough. Has anyone ever tried? Any thoughts?
Amanda R says
repost* Always love this recipe. I want to make ahead and freeze it refrigerate the dough. Has anyone ever tried? Any thoughts?
Althea Brown says
You can definitely freeze the dough and if you have a vacuum sealer even better.
La-Shaka St Louis says
Gonna be making bakes using this recipe today, thanks for making our traditions so accessible.
Sharon Lackey says
Hi, can you post the sitting time if you substitute the baking powder with yeast, thanks, Sharon from Ga.
Lisa says
I usually don't comment on recipes, but hats off to this one. Made it today for the first and everyone loved it. They even went back for seconds. I didn't use as much sugar and added some cinnamon powder. My best bakes by far, can't wait to make this again. Will definitely share this recipe with friends and family. Thank you!!
Tash says
Looks delicious! Can you give me a average on how many calories in one bake?