The bakery that makes the sugar bread is located somewhere on the north end of the island. despite previous visits, they werent exactly sure where. The first attempt at finding it was on our big island tour, and we wound up dead ending several times in the expensive houses-with-views on the rich part of the island. Most of the roads here are named in groups, (international cities, indian tribes, towns in holland, types of chocolate) we were in the gemstone area. We saw some urban donkeys, but sadly no bakery.
Attempt two we were waiting for Bonaire Super Store to open from its daily siesta, and drove around looking. It turned out we should have been looking in the indian name area instead of gemstones. This time we managed to find it, but it was sadly closed. its located on Kaya Cacique (pronounced "cake" by my father, and only my father) for those keeping track of island eateries.
Dont let the maps fool you, these streets are tiny. The island is only 28 miles long and 3-7 miles wide, around 112 square miles, at least half of which is empty, scrubby desert. I say around, because each map we have says something different. The island may have been measured by goats.
Attempt three at sugar bread was my dad announcing he would "get up early" the next day and take me to the bakery. I wasnt sure what "early" meant, though my experience with my parents is that they usually wake up sometime north of 5am, making 4am "early." So when the sun woke me up at 6, i came down to await the ride to sugary goodness. I showed my dedication by skipping my breakfast of bread and sprinkles in anticipation.
My dad rolled downstairs around 8, and we got to the bakery around ten. The baker said "no sugar bread today! tomorrow sugar bread!" My dad asked what time the bakery open, and the baker said "six" and then something i interpreted as "out of sugar bread around 8" and my dad interpreted as "sugar bread is out for purchase around 8."
Meanwhile, my mother has talked continually about the wonders of sugar bread. ("its wonderful! its like stained glass!") Having grown up with a mother morally opposed to processed sugar in all of its forms, i of course thought this was a trap. It might be like the time she made "hostess cupcakes" from carob and cream cheese. I needed to do some research to make sure the sugar in the bread was legit and not just agave mixed with tofu. The interwebs told me this is a dutch thing, usually served with coffee, and provided some midwestern interpretations of how to make it using sugar cubes instead of pearl sugar.
My dad flew solo to the bakery the next day around 7.30AM. He had to wait 8 whole minutes for the sugar bread to be done, and then brought two loaves back to us while it was piping hot. So hot that the baker rigged up a carrying case for it from a stapled baguette wrapper.
It turns out sugar bread is a lot like coffee cake. It is pearl sugar rolled into a sweet bread with cinnamon and some other spices. It is not a pretty bread. It has big lumps of sugar that look like big, warty pustules, but probably crunch when it is cool. So far I have only had it warm.
The first loaf was decimated in a matter of minutes. The second loaf lasted a few days, only because it remained intact. once it was cut into, it was gone in short order too.
The second loaf lasted slightly longer. The fact that it is sugary and I only managed to get four pieces total from two loaves should be a testament to my mothers fondness for the stuff. While i was researching it on the interwebs, i saw that it is often served fried in butter. Since butter can only make things more delicious, I tried it on my second set of slices yesterday.
I accidedntally burned one slice, which made it fair game for my mother. It came out delicious, the bread inside stayed creamy and the outside was carmelized. It was kinda like french toast, with none of the hateful egginess. I think my mother was also converted to this way of eating it, though she wants it to be crunchy the whole way through. My dad's habit of putting nutella on it has been deemed "double dipping in sugar" and is publicly frowned upon, though privately bites are stolen when it is left unattended.
The most lasting impression of the sugar bread is that i get to say "sooper sugar bread" in the voice of a cartoon animal hawking sugary breakfast delights whenever i want. I have also been teaching it to the mockingbirds through a combination of whistles and (non sugar) breadcrusts.
No comments:
Post a Comment