Pan de Coco

Pan de Coco, literally translated as “coconut bread”, is one of my favorites. As a child, it was one of the treats I usually get when we go to bakeries. It is difficult to choose between Pan de Monggo and this, so I always get both of them. Smart kid, huh?

Pan de Coco - The Not So Creative Cook (1)

Pan de Coco is a sweet bun that is filled with delicious coconut filling. The filling is so good you’d want to take it out from the bun and eat it alone. (Oh! I did that before.) The filling is made of freshly grated coconut, milk, sugar and butter. It is cooked so that coconut absorbs the milk and make it even yummier. I also add salt because, well, I feel that I need to. 😛

Pan de Coco - The Not So Creative Cook (2)

There are versions that don’t use milk nor even cook the filling, but I felt I had so much energy to stand for about ten minutes to stir constantly so I did cook the filling, hoping it would turn out great because standing for that long and not be able to multitask comes only once in a year. 😀

And yes, sometimes, not being lazy will give you one of the yummiest bread you’ve ever made. One of the things I did here – I used fresh yeast and it gave me super fluffy buns. Thanks to super Linda – I have experienced such fun bread baking.

Pan de Coco - The Not So Creative Cook (3)

The buns were really fluffy and perfect with the sweet coconut filling. Sweet buns + cococnu*t filling. Yes, please!

Just a quick note – if, for some reason, you don’t have access to freshly grated coconut, I’ve read that it is fine to use desiccated coconut. However, I cannot be of help when it comes to how much you need to use because I haven’t tried it. Maybe one day…

Pan de Coco - The Not So Creative Cook (4)

For now, let us enjoy the freshness of these lovely buns. I am heading now to Fiesta Friday #258 to show off these beauties! 😛 Thank you, Laurena, for co-hosting this week.

I have shared the recipe video on my YouTube channel. I hope you’ll check it out. 😉

These are sweet buns filled with sweet coconut filling (using freshly grated coconut). One of my childhood favorites – perfect with coffee or as is, but I also enjoy it with soda. 🙂

CuisineFilipino

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Proofing Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings 16 buns

Author Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook

Ingredients

For the buns:

455g(3 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour (you may need more for your work surface)
18gfresh yeast, crumbled (or 2 tsp instant yeast)
70g(1/3) cup white sugar
1tspsalt
310ml(1 1/4) cup whole milk, warm (110-120 F)
60ml(1/4) cup melted unsalted butter
1beaten egg
1egg yolkfor egg wash

For the coconut filling:

150g(1 ½ cup) freshly grated coconut
180ml(3/4) cup whole/fresh milk
140g(3/4) cup brown sugar
38g(3 tbsp) butter
½tspvanilla extract
Pinchof salt

Instructions

Using the bowl of your stand mixer, add flour, sugar and crumbled fresh yeast (or instant yeast). Mix until combined. Add salt and mix again.
Add egg, melted butter and warm milk. Mix using a wooden spoon.
Attach the bowl to your stand mixer and with the dough hook attachment, turn on the mixer and knead until smooth and the dough is not sticky. You may need to add a tablespoon or two of flour. (In my case, I added 2 tablespoons of flour. Also, the dough didn’t form into a ball nor stuck to the dough hook, so when I turned off the mixer and touched the dough with my finger and it is not sticking anymore, that is a sign for me that that dough is ready.)
Sprinkle little flour on your work surface, take out the dough from the mixer and knead for a few seconds then form into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with cling film or lint-free kitchen towel, and then keep in a warm place for 45 minutes to one hour or until doubled in size.
While waiting for the dough, it is time to prepare the filling: In a saucepan, add all the ingredients for the filling. In a low-medium heat, cook the filling while stirring constantly until the liquid has been absorbed. This may take up to 10 minutes, depending on the heat.
When the dough is ready,
prepare acouple of baking sheets lined with parchment paper and set aside.
Punch down the dough to remove the air.
Divide the dough with each measuring 50-52 grams each. (You may get 14-18 buns.) Flatten each and fill with about 1 – 1 ½ tablespoon of the coconut filling. Seal the edges. Place on the baking sheet, sealed side down. Poke the top of the dough using a fork. Cover loosely with a lint-free kitchen towel. Let them rise again for about 30-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 F.
When ready, carefully brush the tops of the buns with egg yolk.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Let the baked bread rest for about 5 minutes before enjoying.
This can be reheated beautifully the next day in a preheated oven at 350 F for 5 minutes.