Coconut Fruit Plait.

I have copied this recipe from the packet of Blue Key Bread Flour. Mrs.Loo, my Chinese neighbour in Johor Baru, is 10 years my senior; our birthdays are one day apart :) I have never known her to be idle. She had four daughters, of whom one was away in Uni, two were in Junior college and the last in secondary school.

Her husband worked in Singapore and the girls schooled there. To beat the Causeway traffic, they would leave home at 5.30 in the morning. So her day starts earlier than that, with never ending chores. She taught me to bake bread, a few cookies, buns et al. From her recipe book I have borrowed some notes and use them. This is one such recipe, simple yet the results are good to see and eat, of course.

Ingredients:
Flour-500 grams
Active dried yeast-1/2 tablespoon
Water-260 grams
Salt-5 grams (1 Teaspoon)
Sugar-70 grams
Butter-50 grams
Dessicated coconut -50 grams
Milk -1 tablespoon
Mixed dry fruits -100 grams

Topping:
Glace icing and Cherries or Castor Sugar and Cherries

Raise the yeast in a bowl.
In a bowl put in the flour, sugar, salt, dessicated coconut and butter. Mix thoroughly. Add the yeast and knead until a smooth dough develops. Add mixed dry fruits and knead further.
Rest the dough and let it rise for about an hour.
Divide dough in twelve equal portions. Roll three of such balls into thick ropes and make a plait.

Leave on a baking tray. Repeat with all the dough. Place the plaits on baking trays, leave for some more time until the oven preheats. Bake at 210°C for 18 minutes.

Cool on wire racks. While still warm make the topping.

These buns can be baked one or two at a time depending on the capacity of the oven. If you are not baking all in one go, just cover the prepared plait so it does not dry from top.

Makes a good breakfast or a teatime snack.