We're excited to share this delicious recipe, which we got from from TheCoconetTV and Samoa Tourism Authority.
This recipe is for Samoan Pani Popo, which is the ultimate comfort food. It consists of delicious, rolled buns, topped with generous amounts of sweet coconut cream. It's also not difficult to make!
Please check out their video below:
Samoan Coconut Bread 'Pani Popo' Recipe
Ingredients
Bread Ingredients
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 tsp dried active yeast
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 cups self rising flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 3 tbsp melted butter
Coconut Cream
- 1 can coconut milk (400ml)
- 1 can water (400ml)
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
Bread Ingredients
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
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Add warm water, yeast, and 1/4 tsp sugar in a bowl. Mix and let rise and activate for 10 minutes
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In a separate, large bowl, mix the flours and 1 tsp sugar
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Mix warm milk with the melted butter. Add in the yeast mix. Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredeients. Then pour all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients
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Mix to combine (don't overmix) and use your hands to bring the dough together to make a ball.
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Press the dough down so that it's a bit flattened and let it proof (rest) in a warm place for 20 minutes). Make sure that it is covered by a cloth or lid.
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After the dough has risen, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangular shape. Do not overwork the dough, just roll as needed.
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Using your hands, roll the dough into a cylindrical shape, like a dough snake.
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Cut the dough into 2- inch pieces and place the pieces into a baking dish with some space between each piece
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In a separate bowl, combine the coconut milk, water, and sugar. Pour the mixture over the dough in the baking dish.
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Place in the oven for 20 minutes and bake until the liquid thickens. Then increase the heat of the over to 400 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the tops of the rolls are golden brown
Let's get cooking! First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Next, you want to prep your yeast and let it rise. Add 1/4 cup warm water, 2 tsp dried active yeast, and 1/4 tsp sugar to a bowl. Mix it and let it rest for 10 minutes so that it rises and gets nice and puffy and bubbly.
Next up, grab another large bowl and will it with your 2 cups of bread flour, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of self rising flour. Mix to combine.
Mix 3/4 cup warm milk with 3 tbsp melted butter. Add yeast mix and mix to combine.
Make a hole in the middle of your dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the hole. Mix to combine.
Don't over mix, then use your hands to form the dough into a ball.
Place the dough on a flat service and press it down slightly to make a disk. Cover it with a dish towel or cover and let it rest for 20 minutes in a warm place. It will proof and rise.
Here's the risen dough.
Cut the dough in half and work on one portion at once.
Grab your rolling pin and roll it into a rectangular shape. It doesn't need to be perfect. Again, don't overwork the dough, just roll as needed to get it thin.
Next roll the dough into a cylinder shape, like a snake. I cut off the edges that aren't as pretty and add it to the second dough.
Cut the dough into 2 inch pieces and place in a baking dish. Make sure there is some space in between each roll so that it has room to expand.
Next, work on your second piece of dough and repeat all the steps that you used on the first piece of dough.
Now you are ready to make the coconut cream topping. In a separate bowl, combine 1 can of coconut milk, 1 can of water, and 1 cup of sugar. Pour the topping over the dough in the baking dish.
Using a brush, baste the tops of the buns with the coconut cream.
Place it into the over for 20 minutes. Open the oven at about 10 minutes to baste the buns with coconut cream. The coconut mixture should be nice and thick at this point.
Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and baste the tops of the buns again. Then bake for another 10 minutes so that the tops get brown.
