Pani popo is a Samoan sweet coconut bread. Pani means "bread," and popo means "coconut." The bread itself is made from sweet bread dough. Coconut sauce is prepared separately and poured over the dough before everything is baked.
Ingredients
Traditional Pani Popo
Makes a dozen loaves
- 1 pack or 2-1/4 tsp (11.25 ml) active dry yeast
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) warm water
- 1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) powdered milk
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- 3-1/2 cups (875 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 to 3 tbsp (30 to 45 ml) raw sugar for garnish (optional)
Coconut Sauce for Traditional Pani Popo
Makes sauce for a dozen buns
- 1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
- 1 cup (250 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
Quick Cooking Popo Pani
Makes 1 dozen rolls
- 12 frozen buns, thawed
- 10-oz (310-ml) coconut milk
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) white sugar
Step
Method 1 of 2: Method One: Traditional Pani Popo
Cooking Bread
Step 1. Mix yeast and warm water
Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Let the dough sit for 5 or 10 minutes, or until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture is bubbly.
- The water temperature should be 40 to 46 degrees Celsius for best results.
- If you plan to use a stand mixer, mix the two ingredients in a mixer bowl.
Step 2. Mix coconut milk, butter, sugar and salt
Combine the four ingredients in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, stirring gently with a whisk.
Chop the butter before adding it. By cutting into smaller pieces the butter will melt faster
Step 3. Cook the coconut milk mixture in the microwave
Place the coconut milk mixture in the microwave and heat on full power for 1 minute.
Stir the dough after removing it from the microwave. The ingredients may not have melted when they were removed from the microwave, but they will melt after enough stirring
Step 4. Add eggs and powdered milk
Add the two ingredients to the coconut milk mixture and mix gently until smooth.
- You will need to wait for the mixture to cool slightly before adding the eggs. If you add the eggs while the mixture is still hot, the eggs may thicken.
- Another option is to adjust the temperature of the eggs by beating them in another bowl and adding a little of the hot coconut milk mixture. Stir the two until smooth, until the temperature of the eggs also rises slowly. Enter the eggs that have been stirred with coconut milk into the coconut milk mixture and beat until smooth.
Step 5. Mix with yeast mixture
Put the coconut mixture into the bowl containing the yeast mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer or without a stand for this process.
- When the process is complete, all the ingredients in the bowl will be smooth and even.
Step 6. Add flour
Sprinkle flour into liquid ingredients. Continue kneading the dough on medium speed for another two minutes, or until all the ingredients are well combined into a dough.
The ingredients should be a soft and sticky dough. If the dough doesn't stick together, you can add another cup (60 ml) of flour
Step 7. Knead the dough on a floured surface
Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer to a clean, floured table. Knead the dough for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- This step introduces more air into the dough, so if you want to have a light bread when you finish this step. However, if you prefer denser bread, you can skip or shorten the kneading time.
- You can add a little flour to the dough as you knead, but avoid adding too much. This dough should remain sticky and soft. When the dough is hard, the bread will be hard too.
Step 8. Let the dough rise
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Spray the bowl with a small amount of non-stick cooking spray before placing the dough in it.
- After placing the dough in the bowl, you can turn the dough over so that the entire surface is covered with non-stick cooking spray. This will reduce the stickiness of the dough surface.
- For best results, let the dough rise in a warm, airless place.
Step 9. Beat the dough to deflate
After the dough has doubled in size, use your fists to gently beat until it deflates.
If the dough sticks to your hands when you touch it, you can spray a small amount of non-stick cooking spray on your skin or dust your hands with flour
Step 10. Divide into several parts
Divide the dough into 12 equal parts. Roll the small pieces of dough into balls.
- The simplest way to form dough balls is to pull the dough apart and roll it into a ball.
- Another way is to roll the entire dough into a long cylinder. Use a knife to slice the cylinder into 2.5 cm long equal pieces.
Step 11. Arrange the dough balls in the pan
Place the dough balls in a 30 cm diameter round pan that has been greased with oil.
Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray before placing the dough balls in it
Step 12. Let it grow
Cover the unbaked dough with the same clean cloth in the warm location as before. Let rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Alternatively, you can let the dough rise slowly by refrigerating it for 12 to 24 hours.
- Prepare the coconut sauce while letting the dough rise.
Preparing Coconut Sauce
Step 1. Stir in the coconut milk
Before you remove the coconut milk, first stir the coconut milk in the can or container.
Coconut milk has a tendency to thicken. If you are using unopened canned coconut milk, you can smooth it by shaking the can. When the can is open, you will need to stir to mix the liquid and ingredients evenly
Step 2. Mix the coconut milk with the rest of the ingredients
In a medium bowl, mix coconut milk, water and sugar. Beat until smooth and even.
- Be aware that the dough may look too sweet if you try it now. However, when baked, the sweetness will be absorbed by the bread, making the sauce tasteless.
- Cover the coconut milk sauce and set aside while you wait for the bread dough to finish rising.
Baking Pani Popo
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius
You may want to preheat the oven for a while before the dough rises completely.
Step 2. Pour the coconut milk sauce over the dough
Pour the coconut milk sauce evenly over the unbaked bread dough, making sure each dough is evenly coated with the sauce.
- Some of the sauce will stick to the surface of the dough, covering the top and sides of the dough. But be aware that most of the sauce will fall to the bottom of the pan.
- If you prefer crispier bread with less sauce, you can brush a little sauce over the tops and sides of each bread dough with a bread brush without pouring all of the sauce over the dough. If you choose bread like this, you won't be using all of the coconut milk sauce that has been prepared, and there will be very little sauce at the bottom of the pan.
Step 3. Sprinkle raw sugar
If desired, sprinkle a little raw sugar on top of the bread dough.
Since the coconut milk sauce is already very sweet, it may be best not to add sugar the first time you make the pani popo. If the sauce alone isn't too sweet for you when you try the final product, you can add sugar the next time you cook the bread
Step 4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes
Place the bread in the preheated oven and cook until the crust is golden brown.
Remember that the temperature in the roll of bread dough should be 88 degrees Celsius
Step 5. Serve fresh
Allow the cooked bread to cool slightly, but enjoy the bread while it is still warm and fresh.
- Try waiting 30 minutes before serving the bread. This will give the bread time to harden and the sauce to thicken.
- Serve the bread straight from the pan and lift the sauce over the pan with a spoon, or flip the pan and serve the bread upside down.
Method 2 of 2: Method Two: Quick Cooking Pani Popo
Step 1. Prepare the pan
Coat a 23 cm by 23 cm baking sheet with cooking spray.
You can also use a 30 cm diameter round pan
Step 2. Coat the dough balls with cooking spray
Spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray. Take each ball of thawed dough by hand and roll it gently, so that the entire surface of the dough is exposed to the cooking spray.
- In addition to using cooking spray, you can use cooking oil, if desired.
- Each dough should be lightly brushed with oil.
Step 3. Let it rise for 2 hours
Arrange the dough balls evenly on the baking sheet. Set aside the pan and allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.
- Cover the dough with a clean cloth to protect it from dust and other debris.
- For best results, place the dough in a warm, windless place.
Step 4. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius
Depending on how long it takes to preheat the oven, you'll need to heat a few moments before the dough finishes rising.
Step 5. Mix the remaining three ingredients
Put the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, and sugar in a small bowl. Beat the dough until smooth and even.
This sauce will be quite sweet. If you prefer less sweet, reduce the amount of sugar to 2 or 3 tablespoons (30 or 45 ml)
Step 6. Pour the coconut milk mixture over the bread dough
After the bread dough has finished rising, pour the coconut milk sauce over the top and sides of the dough.
The sauce will stick to the surface of each dough, but most of it will drip to the bottom of the pan
Step 7. Bake for 30 minutes
Place the dough in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it turns golden brown.
Step 8. Chill and enjoy
Remove the cooked pani popo from the oven. Let it cool for a few minutes, then enjoy it while it's still warm and fresh.
- Lift the loaf straight from the pan onto a serving plate. Spoon the sauce over the bottom of the pan to the top of each loaf before serving.
- Alternatively, flip the pan onto a larger plate, and serve the bread upside down (sauce side up).
