Éric Kayser shows you how to bake the Macatia bread, according to the secrets of the greatest master-bakers of the Reunion Island.


This little sweet bread is one of the basement of several Indian Ocean islands’ gastronomy heritage: the Reunion Island, Mauritius, Madagascar and Comoros. This loaf tastes like bread and brioche.


From breakfast to afternoon snack, treat yourself with Oceanian culture.

The ingredients:

500g of all-purpose (plain) flour.
125g of cane sugar.
100g of sourdough starter.
10g of fresh baker’s yeast.
10g of coarse salt.
10g of vanilla extract or vanilla pod of the Reunion Island.
250g of water at 20°C.
A little bit of groundnut oil for the shaping.

The utensils:

An electric stand mixer.
A dough scraper.
A thermometer.
A cloth.
A dough cutter.
A brush.
And oven rack with its greaseproof paper.

The timing:

Kneading: more or less 10 minutes
1st rising: 2 hours
Rest: 30 minutes
Proofing: 1h30
Baking: 20 minutes at 230°C

The recipe:

Start to pour the water, first
Then, add the sugar, the sourdough starter and the flour.
Start the mixer, slowly, at 1st speed.

 

Add the yeast.
And once, it is well blended, add the salt.
Speed up at 2nd speed for three or four more minutes.

 

Wait for the flour to be entirely absorbed and slow down at first speed.
And pour, gently, the vanilla extract or the vanilla pod.

 

Stop the mixer.
Check if the dough is well kneaded by forming a small ball between your hands.
Slightly flour the table.
Get the dough out of the bowl.

 

Form a ball with a dough. Be careful to not fold the dough too much.
Take its temperature, it should be around 25°C-26°C.

 

Place it down your mixing bowl.
Cover it with a cloth.
Leave it to rest for 2 hours.

 

Press it with your fingers to check if it is well kneaded.
Divide it in 2 parts (more or less 490g each).
Form balls and leave them to rest down the table, covered with a cloth for 30 minutes.

 

Turn your loaves upside down on the table, without adding flour.
Flatten them a little bit.
Bring all the edges back in the centre.
Pinch the dough with your little finger and roll it on your table to form a ball.
Do the same gesture until you have just a single seam.
And do the same with the second one.

 

Add a little bit of oil at the bottom of the loaf with the brush and add some flour very very slightly.
Dust your cloth with flour.
Place the loaves, seam underneath.
Cover them with a cloth.

 

Leave them to proof for 1h30.

 

Lift them up with your left hand and grab them with the right.
Slightly moisten the breads on their sides (but be careful to not moisten the seam).

 

Put the loaves in the oven for 20 minutes at 230°C

 

And dream of other lands while savouring this treasure.

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