Soft Coconut Milk Coco Bread
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and Food Network Kitchen.
Pillowy, pale half-moon buns made with warm coconut milk and butter, folded so they split open neatly around a patty or just a spread of butter.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Make the dough. Stir the flour, yeast, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Mix the coconut milk, warmed to about 38 °C, with the 50 g melted butter, pour it in and bring everything into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Warm liquid gets the yeast going quickly, and the coconut fat keeps the crumb tender.
- 2
Knead until smooth. Knead for 8-10 minutes by hand, or 5-6 minutes in a mixer with the dough hook, until the dough is smooth, elastic and springs back when pressed. A well-developed dough holds the gas that makes these buns so light.
- 3
First rise. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1-1½ hours, until doubled in size and puffy. A finger pressed gently into the top should leave a dent that fills back slowly.
- 4
Divide and rest. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 8 pieces of about 115 g. Roll each into a smooth ball, cover and rest for 10 minutes. The short rest relaxes the gluten so the balls roll out without shrinking back.
- 5
Roll, butter and fold. Grease the trays with the 10 g butter. Roll each ball into a round about 15 cm across and 4 mm thick, brush the top lightly with melted butter and fold it in half into a half-moon, pressing the curved edge gently. The butter layer stops the two halves fusing, so each bun opens cleanly once baked.
- 6
Prove. Set the buns well apart on the trays, cover loosely and leave for 30-45 minutes until puffy. Spacing them gives each bun room to rise without merging into its neighbour.
- 7
Bake gently. Heat the oven to 175 °C (155 °C fan) and bake for 18-22 minutes, until just set and only very lightly golden underneath. The tops should stay pale and matt rather than brown or shiny, and the centre should read 88-93 °C. A moderate oven cooks the enriched dough through before the sugar and fat on the surface can colour.
- 8
Brush and steam. Brush the hot buns lightly with the remaining melted butter, then stack them in a folded tea towel while any others bake. Trapped steam softens the crust, giving the characteristic tender, fluffy finish.
Storage
Keep cooled buns in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Warm wrapped in foil in a low oven for a few minutes before serving. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large bowl or stand mixer with dough hook
- cling film
- digital scales
- rolling pin
- 2 baking trays lined with baking paper
- pastry brush
- instant-read thermometer
- clean tea towel
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 421 kcal |
| Protein | 8.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 53.1 g |
| of which sugars | 6.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 6.2 g |
| Fat | 19.8 g |
| of which saturates | 14.1 g |
| Fibre | 1.7 g |
| Salt | 0.93 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
