Breudher Bread

Sweet yeasted Dutch bread from Kochi

Prep Time 60 min
Cook Time 30 min
Serving Size 4
Recipe Type Built In Oven

Breudher bread, locally known as Dutch bread, is a sweet, yeasted loaf traditionally baked in Kochi’s Anglo-Indian homes. Served with butter and green bananas, and sometimes alongside rich meat stews, it reflects a colonial legacy shaped by local kitchens. Brought to the Malabar coast during Dutch rule and sustained by generations of home bakers and neighbourhood bakeries, Breudher remains a quiet staple—simple, comforting, and deeply rooted in everyday faith and family life.

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm milk
1 1/4 tsp yeast
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp powdered cloves
50 gm butter soft at room temperature
1/2 cup raisins/sultanas
Melted butter for brushing the baked loaf

Method

First, proof the yeast. Mix the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar with the warm milk and keep aside for about 5 to 10 minutes. It should be frothy.
Put this and all the other ingredients, except the raisins/ sultanas and melted butter into the bowl of a processor or kitchen machine. Knead, with enough water, into a soft smooth elastic dough. You can knead by hand as well. Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl and cover loosely. Let it rise till double in volume, about 1 ½ to 2 hours or so.
Put the dough onto a floured counter. Flatten the dough and mix in the raisins/ sultanas. Shape the dough into a loaf and place in a greased approx. 8” x 4.5” loaf tin. Loosely cover and let it rise for about 45 minutes or till the top of the dough has just risen over the top.
Bake it at 190C (375F) for about 25 to 30 minutes or till the bread is done and the top is a nice deep brown. Remove from the oven and brush the top with melted butter. Let it rest for about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the tin and cool completely on a rack before slicing.
Slice and serve plain or toasted with bread and sliced bananas.

Find out more about the history and tradition of the dish

In India, ragi has been found in archaeological excavations dating back to 1800 BC, and has been associated with honouring poets with a concoction of ragi, milk, and honey.

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