If you like the taste of crawfish but don’t want to spend your entire paycheck on them, then this recipe might be just what you need!
This Cajun-inspired bread can be eaten by itself or dipped into sauces and soups.
- This recipe is for a Cajun-style bread made with crawfish. It is a savory, yeasted bread that is perfect for dipping in sauces or eating on its own.
How Do You Make Crawfish Bread?
Crawfish is one of those things that people either love or hate.
If you fall into the former camp, then you will probably enjoy making this recipe as much as you enjoyed cooking it.
To start off, you must gather all the ingredients needed to create this tasty treat.
To begin, we recommend purchasing some fresh crawfish tails if possible.
You can find these at most grocery stores and seafood markets.
The next ingredient needed to create this delicious bread is flour.
While any type of flour may work, we suggest using white whole wheat flour because it has more protein than other types of flours.
Once you have gathered your ingredients, there are multiple steps involved in creating this dish.
Step 1: Mixing yeast and water
The first step in baking this bread is mixing together two liquids called “yeast” and “water.” Yeasts come from different sources depending on where they were grown. They are usually sold in small packets, which contain both the yeast and water. Before beginning this process, open up the packet and pour out half the liquid (about ¼ cup) onto a plate. Then add ½ teaspoon sugar to this mixture. Add this solution back into the rest of the liquid inside the bag. Make sure to mix well so everything gets evenly distributed throughout the liquid.
Step 2: Adding oil, salt, and flour
Next, add about 3 tablespoons olive oil to the bowl containing the mixed yeast/sugar solution.
After adding the oil, stir until it becomes foamy.
Next, sprinkle ¾ tablespoon salt over top.
Finally, add 4 cups of flour to the bowl.
Stir thoroughly to combine the ingredients.
When done mixing, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.
After about 10 minutes, remove the plastic wrap and knead the dough for 5 seconds.
Now, return the dough to the bowl and cover again with plastic wrap.
Let rise for an additional 20 minutes.
After rising, punch down the dough and divide it into four equal parts.
You should get three pieces of dough after punching down the fourth piece.
Roll each part into balls and place them on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 45 minutes.
Once risen, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake the bread for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve immediately once baked.
What Is In A Crawfish Bread Recipe?
Crawfish bread has three basic ingredients: flour, yeast (or baking powder), and salt.
The bread will also have water, oil, sugar, eggs, milk, and seasonings such as garlic, onion, thyme, bay leaves, and black pepper.
The most important ingredient in any recipe is the type of dough used.
For this recipe, we recommend using a sponge cake batter.
If you are unfamiliar with the term “sponge cake,” it refers to a mixture of egg yolks and white beaten together until frothy, which creates a light, airy texture.
It is similar to an angel food cake batter but much lighter.
You may use regular cake mix instead if you prefer, but it won’t work out quite as well here because the dough tends to sink during baking when using a sponge batter.
In addition to the sponge cake batter, there are two other components included in this recipe: cornmeal and crawfish seasoning.
Cornmeal adds thickness to the bread while the crawfish seasoning gives it flavor.
A few recipes call for sour cream, but it isn’t necessary for this one.
Sour cream would add moisture, which makes sense since the bread needs to rise more than usual.
As far as how many crawfish shells go in each loaf of bread, there aren’t exact guidelines.
You could leave all of them in, or cut some down so they fit better inside the oven.
Either way, it should still look pretty full after cooking.
One final note about crawfish bread—it takes longer to cook than other types of bread.
Because it contains both cornmeal and crawfish seasoning, it bakes up darker than normal breads.
In general, the higher the percentage of flour in a recipe, the slower it cooks.
So, even though the crawfish bread does take longer to bake, the finished product tastes great.
How Do You Make A Crawfish Bread Starter?
A crawfish bread starter is used to create a yeast dough for making a loaf of bread.
The following steps will walk you through how to make one using flour, water, salt, sugar, eggs, milk powder, and yeast (the same ingredients as any other yeast bread).
Step 1: Make Crawfish Bread Starter Dough
First, mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl including the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Whisk these ingredients well so they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until everything comes together.
You may have to add more liquid if the dough seems too dense.
If it does not seem moist enough, add another tablespoon of milk powder and continue stirring until it reaches the consistency of cookie dough.
Step 2: Add Yeast To Crawfish Bread Starter Dough
Now that you have mixed up the dough, cover it and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.
In the morning, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come back to room temperature before continuing.
Once the dough has reached room temperature, take out a portion of it and place it onto an unfloured work surface.
Use a rolling pin to roll it down with light pressure until it becomes thin and round.
Step 3: Roll Out Crawfish Bread Starter Dough Using A Mold Or Baking Pan
Next, use a mold or pan to shape the dough into a loaf.
Place the shaped dough inside the mold or pan and fill it halfway full with warm water.
Cover the mold or pan tightly with plastic wrap and set aside to rise.
Step 4: Let Crawfish Bread Rise And Bake At 350 Degrees F
After rising, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the mold or pan from the oven and pour off the excess water.
Now sprinkle some cornmeal over the top of the risen loaves and put them back in the oven.
Cook the bread for 40 minutes after which time you should start checking on the progress of the bread.
When the bread feels firm to the touch, remove it from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack.
After about 15 minutes, slice the bread and serve immediately or store leftovers in airtight containers.
What Temperature Do You Bake Crawfish Bread At?
The best way to learn how to cook any dish is to start from scratch.
The first step when making a new recipe is to create an exact replica of the original using as few ingredients as possible.
When attempting to recreate a crawfish bread starter, we recommend starting off with simple ingredients such as flour, yeast, and salt.
Once those three basic elements are combined correctly and allowed to ferment overnight, they will become the base for our final product.
When creating a starter, you should not use too much yeast.
Too much yeast will cause the dough to rise too quickly, leaving little time to knead.
If there isn’t enough time to properly mix together all the necessary components, the finished product could end up looking like wet sand rather than fluffy bread.
To help maintain the consistency of our bread, we recommend mixing everything together before adding water.
After mixing, allow the mixture to sit until it starts to bubble slightly.
Then add the remaining water and stir well.
Allow the mixture to rest again before adding more water if needed.
We suggest waiting 10 minutes after each addition of water so that the dough has ample time to absorb the liquid.
After all the liquids have been added, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside to proof for 12 hours.
During this process, the mixture will expand significantly.
After twelve hours, remove the lid and fold the sides of the bag inward toward the center of the bowl.
Flip the whole thing over onto one side and let the contents settle back down.
Repeat this folding process every hour for another six hours.
At this point, the bread will have risen about half its size.
You may now proceed to knead the dough.
Once the dough feels soft and silky, transfer it to a greased baking sheet.
Using both hands (or two forks), gently stretch out the dough to form a smooth ball shape.
Cover the loaf loosely with plastic wrap and place it in the oven to rise once more.
Let the dough double in volume during this second rising period.
Again, repeat these steps every hour until it reaches full expansion.
At this stage, the bread is ready to be baked.
How Long Does It Take To Bake Crawfish Bread?
Baking time depends on size of loaf pan, so check out our full guide to baking times before you start cooking.
You should also keep an eye on your dough as it bakes because if there are any holes in the top crust or the edges look uneven, they may not have baked through completely.
If this happens, let the loaf cool down slightly and try again until all the pieces are evenly browned.
Crawfish Bread Ingredients
You will need:
- 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 pounds cooked crawfish tail meat (or 2 cans)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
How to Make Crawfish Bread Recipe
Step 1: In a small bowl combine the warm water and yeast. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and set aside.
Step 2: Place the bread flour and salt in large mixing bowl and stir well. Add the yeast mixture and mix together. Using your hands, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, approximately 5 minutes.
Step 3: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in volume.
Step 4: Grease a 9×13 inch square cake pan with nonstick spray. Divide the risen dough into two equal parts. On a clean work surface, roll each piece of dough into a ball. Flatten one ball slightly, cover with a damp towel, and let rest 10 minutes.
Step 5: Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice off a thin layer from the center of both balls of dough, leaving a flat portion inside the ring of dough. Use your fingers to gently push the outer edge up around the inner core. The dough should fit snugly into the prepared cake pan. Gently press the sides of the ring back together and place in the cake pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush tops with some of the beaten egg.
Step 6: Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
What Kind Of Flour Do You Use For Crawfish Bread?
The main ingredient in crawfish bread is all purpose flour, which makes up about half of the total weight of the recipe.
The other ingredients include baking powder, salt, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, oil, and yeast.
You will also find some spices such as cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and chili powder.
These are used to add flavor and enhance the overall taste of the bread. You could substitute these spices with dried herbs if you prefer.
Crusty Bread Ingredients
1 cup (250 ml) water
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable shortening
½ cup (125 ml) white sugar
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup (175 ml) whole wheat flour
½ cup (125 ml) all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 large egg yolks at room temperature
¼ cup (60ml) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
Spicy Crawfish Bread Recipe
Step 1 – In a bowl, mix together the water, shortening, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until there are no visible lumps left. Add the flours, baking soda, cream of tartar, and yeast and stir well. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for approximately 18 hours.
Step 2 – After waiting for the mixture to rise, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Step 3 – Mix the egg yolks with the melted butter and pour over the risen dough. Let sit for 10 minutes so that the moisture from the butter mixes into the dough. Then fold the dough gently to incorporate any air pockets inside the dough.
Step 4 – Divide the dough evenly between the prepared loaf pans and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Step 5 – Bake for 35–40 minutes. Remove the loaves from the oven when they have reached an internal temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius). Carefully remove the foil liners and allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
How Do You Shape Crawfish Bread Dough?
You will need some ingredients here in order to make this delicious bread.
The first thing you should do before making it is to gather all of these ingredients together.
You will also need an oven mitt (to protect your hands from the hot pan) and a mixing bowl.
Once everything is gathered together, read through the instructions below carefully so you know how to proceed next.
Ingredients for crawfish bread
Steps for shaping crawfish bread
1. Place yeast packet in warm water until dissolved. Set aside. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. 3. Add milk, butter, eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, onion, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and lemon juice. 4. Mix well, add yeast mixture, and knead with hands. 5. Shape dough into a ball and place in greased loaf pan. 6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size. 7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. 8. Cool completely before slicing. 9. Make sure to eat within two days!
How Do You Store Crawfish Bread?
Crawfish bread should be stored in an airtight container such as a plastic bag or Tupperware container until it is used up.
You may also freeze leftover pieces and use them later in other recipes.
You can also make large batches of crawfish bread and keep them frozen for future consumption.
How Long Does Crawfish Bread Last?
Crawfish bread will keep fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
You can also freeze it for up to three months if you prefer to have some ready when needed.
The flavor of this bread tends to improve as it ages, so we recommend storing it after two days.
How to make crawfish bread
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon butter (or shortening) plus more for greasing pan
- 4 cups flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅔ cup water
- 3 tablespoons yeast
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 12 ounces cooked crawfish meat
- Cooked bacon pieces (optional)
- Directions:
Step 1: Melt butter over medium heat in large saucepan until light brown color. Add flour all at once and stir until mixture turns from yellow to dark golden.
Continue stirring until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and cool slightly before adding sugar, salt, egg yolk, milk, water, and yeast. Stir well until smooth and no lumps remain.
Step 2: Cover dough and let sit for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 hour.
Step 4: Grease 9×5 loaf pan with butter and dust with flour. Punch down risen dough, turn out onto floured countertop, and knead briefly to form smooth round ball. Put dough back in bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise again for another 30 minutes.
Step 5: Lightly grease bottom of prepared loaf pan. Gently transfer dough to baking sheet using spatula. Shape ends of loaf toward each other to create a “U” shape. Bake 40 minutes.
Step 6: Brush top crust with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with parsley. Return to oven for 15 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
Can You Freeze Crawfish Bread?
The crawfish bread will keep well when frozen for up to 3 months.
To reheat it, thaw overnight at room temperature.
Then, bake it straight from the freezer until heated through.
If you are planning ahead, you can also make extra batches so you have some ready to go all week long.
Equipment
- The Oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound crawfish tail meat peeled, cleaned
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3/4 cup chopped and drained ripe tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 3/4 cup Monterey Jack Cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 loaf French bread
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Clean the crawfish. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. After adding, saute the garlic for a short while. Add the crawfish, tomatoes, and Cajun seasoning. 1 minute of sautéing. Get rid of the heat.
- Combine the cheeses, mayonnaise, and parsley in a bowl. The mayo mixture should now include the tomato and crawfish combo.
- The bread should be divided in half, then cut lengthwise. Place the bread in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes after adding the mixture. After that, broil for a further 3 to 5 minutes. Pay special attention to avoid burning. Divide the bread into small pieces.
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