Butter Flaps or Coco Bread are soft, layered, butter-filled breads baked to tender, golden brown perfection. In Guyana, this wonderful bread is called butter flap and in Jamaica, it is called coco bread. The recipe for both breads is exactly the same with one simple difference between the two. Learn how to make butter flaps and coco bread with this easy recipe!
Guyanese Butter Flaps
This recipe brings me right back to my childhood when I peeled away layers and enjoyed every buttery bite and I am happy to share it with you so that you can share this delicious bread with your family.
In Jamaica, a delicious patty is sandwiched between layers of bread. When I was in undergrad I bought a beef patty and coco bread almost every day because there was a popular Jamaican chain restaurant a block away from campus! Those were glorious days.
Why You’ll Love This Butter Flaps and Coco Bread Recipe
- Easy: This recipe requires some patience but the instructions are so simple.
- Delicious: This bread is loved throughout the Carribean islands because it’s tasty. It’s soft, airy, and tender, with a hint of warm buttery, sweetness.
- Versatile: Pair this sweet bread with a savory entree, sauce, cheese, or enjoy it as is!
What is Coco Bread?
Coco bread is a staple bread in Carribean households. It is a folded bread characterized by its sweet taste. It’s an anytime snack that can be served with a variety of foods. It’s most commonly eaten with a slice of sharp cheese of Jamaican beef patties.
Ingredients for Butter Flaps/Coco Bread
If you frequently bake bread, you probably have everything you need already stocked in your kitchen.
- All purpose flour: The basic structure of the bread.
- Rapid rising yeast: Make the bread with just one rise.
- Salted butter: You need it for the dough. Ensure it is room temperature, not cold butter or melted butter. If it is just soft enough, it will seep into the dough as it bakes.
- Warm water: This temperature results in softer bread.
- Sugar: For a hint of sweetness. Use more or less to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Coco Bread
Combine Wet Ingredients and Dry Ingredients
Begin by adding sugar to warm water. Stir until all the sugar crystals dissolve and then set the mixture aside.
Add flour and rapid rising yeast to a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk or your fingers to combine. Then rub ½ cup of salted room temperature butter into the dry ingredients using a fork, until a crumbly texture forms. (You may also use your fingertips.)
Make a well in the center of the ingredients and add the sugar-water solution. Mix until the sugar-water solution and dry ingredients come together to form a soft dough
Rest Dough
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until a smooth dough ball is formed. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover, and let it sit in a warm place to allow the dough to rise until the dough doubles in size. This should take about 45 minutes
Knead Dough
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a minute before cutting the dough into 8 to 10 pieces. If you are making coco bread I recommend cutting your dough into 8 pieces. If you are making butter flaps cutting the dough into 10 pieces will make perfectly sized butter flaps.
Coco Bread vs. Butter Flaps
Roll each piece into a smooth round ball. Then roll your dough out into a round disk about 3/16th of an inch thick for butter flaps and 1/4 inch for coco bread.
For Coco Bread
Add 2 teaspoons of room temperature salted butter to one half of the rolled out dough leaving a bit of space at the edges. Then fold your dough in half. Press the edges to seal. Repeat until each coco bread is folded.
For Butter Flaps
Add 2 teaspoons of room temperature salted butter to one half of the rolled out dough leaving a bit of space at the edges. Next, fold the dough in half then add another teaspoon of butter to half of the folded dough, then fold again so that the dough is now in quarters. Then press the edges to seal. Repeat until all the butter flaps are folded
Just Before Baking
Damp your hands with warm water and brush over butter flaps or coco bread to remove any flour on the surface. Then bake your butter flaps/coco bread on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes
Remove them from the oven then brush them with some butter, cover them with a kitchen towel, and allow them to cool completely before serving.
The Butter Flap / Coco Bread Video Tutorial
Substitutions & Variations
- Coconut Milk. Instead of water, you can use coconut milk for this recipe.
- Food Coloring. In Guyana, most baker shops add yellow food coloring to the butter so that it is prominent in the layers. They do this to mimic an orange colored salted butter that was used in the original butter flap recipes.
- Butter Flap with Cheese. After assembling the butter flaps, add half a slice of sharp cheddar cheese to the center of the folded bread and proceed to bake for cheesy bread.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container. They last in the fridge for about 1 week. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat, brush them with butter and warm them up in the oven at 350°F for 5-7 minutes.
Tips for the Best Butter Flaps
- If the dough is too sticky to work with, be very careful about how much extra flour you add to the dough. While testing this recipe, I made a batch with a pretty stiff dough and the end results were a pretty stiff coco bread
- When shaping the coco bread, roll the dough out to a 1/4 inch thickness. Then brush with butter and fold in half. This will make a really thick coco bread, just like the ones I enjoyed in New York.
- Don’t add too much butter. During one of my batches I thought, the more butter the better, but the butter just oozed out of the dough, flooded the pan and the dough just fried in the butter, making the bottom of the butter flaps crunchy. It was tasty but not what I was going for.
- Doing some baking? Try more Guyanese bread recipes that bake at the same temperature, like Plait Braids and Tennis Rolls.
FAQ
It’s called coco bread because it is usually made with coconut milk.
Coco bread is thicker and only folded once whereas butter flaps are folded twice.
Coco bread has a slightly sweet, buttery taste. It’s incredibly fluffy and pillowy soft.
I would reduce the heat to 325°F and bake for a bit longer.
Butter Flaps / Coco Bread
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of rapid rising yeast
- 1/2 cup of salted butter for the dough + 2 cups more for coco bread and 4 cups more for butter flaps (at room temperature)
- 1 1/4 cups of warm water
- 1/4 cup of sugar
Instructions
- Add sugar to warm water and stir until all the sugar crystals dissolve then set aside
- Then to a large mixing bowl add the flour and rapid rising yeast. Mix together well, using a whisk or your fingers
- Next, rub ½ cup of salted room temperature butter into the dry ingredients using a fork, until a crumbly texture forms. You may also use your finger tips
- Then make a well in the center of the ingredients and add the sugar-water solution
- Mix until the sugar-water solution and dry ingredients come together to form a soft dough
- Next turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes to form a smooth dough ball
- Place the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover and let sit in a warm place to allow the dough to rise until the dough doubles in size. This should take about 45 minutes
- Preheat Oven to 350 °F
- Then turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a minute before cutting the dough into 8 to 10 pieces. If you are making coco bread I recommend cutting your dough into 8 pieces. If you are making butter flaps cutting the dough into 10 pieces will make perfectly sized butter flaps
- Roll each piece into a smooth round ball.
- Then roll your dough out into a round disk about 3/16th of an inch thick for butter flaps and 1/4 inch for coco bread
For Coco Bread
- Next add 2 teaspoons of room temperature salted butter to one half of the rolled out dough leaving a bit of space at the edges.
- Then fold your dough in half. Press the edges to seal
- Repeat until all the coco breads are folded
For Butter Flaps
- Add 2 teaspoons of room temperature salted butter to one half of the rolled out dough leaving a bit of space at the edges.
- Next fold the dough in half then add another teaspoon of butter to half of the folded dough, then fold again so that the dough in now in quarters. See video.
- Then press edges to seal
- Repeat until all the butter flaps are folded
Before Baking
- Damp hands with warm water and brush over butter flaps or coco bread to remove any flour on the surface
- Then bake on the middle rack of the over for 20 to 25 minutes
- Remove from the oven then brush with some butter, cover with a kitchen towel and allow to cool completely
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
Stephanie Says
Made these twice there so good ????
How do I incorporate salt into the dough my is a little bit fresh????
Nadira Says
These came out really soft and buttery. My daughter and I love this recipe
Dana S Says
This was my first time making butter flaps and they came out SO great! I’m Jamaican, so was tempted to make the coco bread, but decided to try the flaps and that extra fold adds some marvelous fluffiness. My husband thinks they are very tasty as well!
Maysa Wilson Says
Can I use unsalted butter?
If so,how much salt should I add to the dough?
Thank you
Althea Brown Says
You can and just a pinch about 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Becky Says
Hi Althea,
Just wanted you to know that you’ve made your recipes easy to follow. It helps alot. Just needed to know if I wanted to cut the recipe in half, should I reduce the rest of ingredients in half also? For example the butter, sugar, etc . Please let me know. Thanks.
Althea Brown Says
I would do 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon yeast and half everything else.
Natalia Says
Overdue for a review! I made these for Thanksgiving. I was in charge of bringing diner rolls, but went for this instead and they were a HUGE hit! I like that there was a video for this recipe. I replayed it about 100 times while I was making these and they came out great! Thank you Althea
Althea Brown Says
Thank you so much for trying them and sharing.
J Says
NAH, NONE TAKEN, I KNOW IT’S NOT THE HEALTHIEST ALTERNATIVE. YOU COULD ALSO TRY TO MAKE YOUR OWN BUTTER, THERE ARE SOME REALLY SIMPLE VIDEOS ON HOW IT’S DONE.
IN ANY EVENT, HOPE YOU DO EVENTUALLY GET TO TRY THEM ONE DAY 🙂
Tricia Says
Like to know different recipes.
Althea Brown Says
Give it a try. It’s so good.
CHRIS COOK Says
I’M SO AFRAID TO MESS THIS UP. IT’S A LOT OF BUTTER TO WASTE. ABOUT $12 WORTH.
J Says
Do like what i did and use margarine, it came out great (in my opinion) aNd it’s a much cheaper ALTERNATIVE.
CHRIS COOK Says
As a cook, Margarine is one molecule short of plastic. Should be banned along with soy bean oil. Just my opinion. no offense.