Coconut Buns (Samoan Panipopo Style)
333kcal
Ingredients
The Sweet Stiff Sourdough Starter (Night Before)
- 8 g Sourdough starter culture
- 30 g Water
- 60 g Bread flour
- 5 g Sugar
The Enriched Main Dough
- 75 g All of the prepared sweet stiff starter Scale out exactly
- 250 g Bread flour
- 75 g Whole milk
- 50 g Sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Large egg
- 20 g Sugar
- 50 g Soft butter warmed completely to room temperature
- 5 g Salt
- 0.5 g Dry yeast Optional: include strictly to accelerate the rise and reduce natural sourdough sourness
Equipment
- Stand Mixer Fitted with the dough hook attachment
- Square Baking Pan 8x8 inch size
- Small Saucepan For thickening the coconut glaze
Method
Day 1 – Sweet Stiff Starter Ignition
- 10:00 PM: In a clean glass jar, dissolve the 5g of sugar into 30g of water. Whisk in your 8g of starter culture, then stir in 60g of bread flour. Mix thoroughly and knead briefly with your hands to form a tight, solid ball. Cover loosely and let it ferment at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight until it expands to more than twice its original volume. Note: This sweet, stiff starter has a much lower hydration level than a standard liquid starter, which technically lowers the final acidity of your dough.
Day 2 – Dough Autolyse & High-Speed Mixing
- 8:00 AM: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 75g of whole milk, 50g of sweetened condensed milk, 1 large egg, 20g of sugar, and 250g of bread flour. Add exactly 75g of your active overnight sweet stiff starter. Stir briefly with a spoon until a shaggy mass forms, cover, and let autolyse undisturbed for 1 hour to fully hydrate the flour starches.
- 9:00 AM: Attach your dough hook. Mix the dough on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or if using a KitchenAid mixer, run it on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until well incorporated.
- Add the 5g of salt and continue mixing for 2 minutes until a clean ball takes shape.
- Increase your mixer speed to medium-high and begin adding the 50g of soft butter a tablespoon at a time. Knead continuously for 10 minutes until the fat incorporates completely. The dough will look incredibly glossy, smooth, and easily pass a windowpane test.
- Cover and let bulk ferment for 3 to 4 hours at a warm 76–80°F (24–28°C). Perform 2 separate rounds of structural stretch-and-folds during this window; the dough will become slightly puffy.
- 1:00 PM: Transfer the covered dough container directly into the refrigerator for a cold fermentation retard lasting 6 to 9 hours.
- 10:00 PM: Remove the cold dough from the fridge and divide it cleanly into 9 equal pieces weighing roughly 60g each.
- Pinch all the outer edges tightly into the bottom center of each piece, then roll them firmly against the counter under a cupped hand to form a tight, smooth round roll. Arrange the 9 shaped rolls evenly into a greased square 8x8 inch baking pan. Cover and let them proof on your counter overnight for 8 to 10 hours at 70–74°F (20–23°C) until they double in volume.
- The Coconut Sauce: In a small saucepan, mix together the 400g of coconut milk, 90g of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly. Cover and let it cool completely on your counter overnight.
Day 3 – Pour-Over Sauce & Staged Baking
- 7:00 AM: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Stir your cooled coconut sauce, then pour it generously directly over the tops of the fully proofed buns inside the pan—do not hesitate, use all of it! Scatter a handful of shredded coconut flakes across the top of each sauce-drenched bun.
- Slide the pan into the oven and bake at 375°F (190°C) for exactly 15 minutes.
- Lower the oven temperature down to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for an additional 13 to 15 minutes until the tops turn a beautiful, uniform golden brown. Serve while warm, scooping up extra hot coconut sauce from the bottom of the tray to pour right back over the top of each roll!
Nutrition
Calories333kcalCarbohydrates43gProtein7gFat16gSaturated Fat12gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat2gTrans Fat0.2gCholesterol34mgSodium99mgPotassium182mgFiber1gSugar16gVitamin A195IUVitamin C1mgCalcium44mgIron2mg
Notes
- The Sourdough De-Acidifying Sugar Secret: Adding a tiny touch of sugar directly into your stiff starter build serves a vital biological purpose. Sugar slows down the rate at which organic acetic acids build up during the overnight fermentation phase, ensuring the final culture provides incredible structural lift and a purely milky, sweet bakery profile without any sour tang.
- The Magic of the Baked Coconut Bath: Do not get nervous when pouring a full can of liquid coconut sauce straight over your raw, puffed dough pieces. This traditional Samoan Panipopo technique essentially cooks the lower half of the rolls in a rich dairy bath, resulting in a unique texture that is half-baked and half-steamed—melting into an unbelievably juicy, custard-like crumb.
- No-Starter Instant Yeast Conversion: If you don't maintain a live sourdough culture but want to bake these immediately, you can comfortably adapt this to a straight commercial yeast process. Simply omit the overnight stiff starter steps entirely, increase your total flour weight to 310g, add 75g of water, and add 2 to 3 grams of dry instant yeast straight into your mixing bowl.
- The Dairy-Free Ingredient Alternative: If you are sensitive to dairy or prefer to keep this pastry plant-based, you can safely modify the ingredients. Swap out the whole milk for equal parts almond or oat milk, and substitute the 50g of condensed milk with a dairy-free cream alternative or a splash of additional coconut cream mixed with a teaspoon of sugar.