Samoan Coconut Buns Pani popo
Sweet coconut buns baked in a coconut sauce
Servings 15 pani popo
Ingredients
The Coconut Dough - Te Pokenga Kokonati
- 1 can (400 ml) miraka kokonati (coconut milk)
- ¾ C (187 ml) wai wera (hot water, from the tap)
- ¼ C huka one (caster sugar or brown sugar)
- 2 tsp īhi tere (instant yeast)
- 1 hēki (egg, size 6)
- 2 tsp wanira (vanilla)
- 1 tsp tote (salt, fine)
- 3 ¾ C (560) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
- 50 g pata (butter, room temperature)
The Coconut Sauce - Te Ranu Kokonati
- 1 tbsp puehu kānga (cornflour)
- ⅓ C wai (water)
- Kini tote (pinch of salt)
- ⅓ C huka one (caster sugar or brown sugar)
- Remainder of miraka kokonati (coconut milk)
- 1 can (400 ml) kirīmi kokonati (coconut cream)
- 1 tsp wanira (vanilla)
Instructions
The Coconut Dough - Te Pokenga Kokonati
- Add ½ C of the miraka kokonati (coconut milk) to a large mixing bowl. Reserve the remaining for the coconut sauce. Add the wai wera (hot water), huka one (caster sugar), and īhi tere (instant yeast) to the bowl with the ½ C of miraka kokonati. Stir well and leave for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.
- Add the hēki (egg), wanira (vanilla), tote (salt) and puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour) to the yeast mixture. Stir it with a bread knife in the bowl until a shaggy dough comes together.
- Tip on to a lightly floured bench. Knead it for 8 minutes with your hands or for 6 minutes in stand mixer, using a dough hook attachment.
- Cut the pata (butter) in to cubes. Stretch out the dough to form a rough rectangle and dot the pata (butter) on to the dough. Fold the corners in and knead again. Knead by hand for 5 minutes or in a stand mixer for 4 minutes.
- To check whether the dough is ready, roll the dough in to a ball and press with your finger. If it springs back quickly, it s ready, if not, knead for another minute or so. Refer to the video for a reference.
- Add to a large, oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel or a reusable bowl cover and allow the dough to rise for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. The dough is ready when it has doubled in size.
- As the dough rises prepare the coconut sauce.
The Coconut Sauce - Te Ranu Kokonati
- Add the puehu kānga (cornflour), wai (water), tote (salt) and huka (sugar) in to a pot. Stir so the ingredients are combined.
- Add in the remaining miraka kokonati (coconut milk) from the dough, kirīmi kokonati (coconut cream) and wanira. Boil gently over low-medium heat for 5 minutes until thick.
- Allow the sauce to cool while the dough is rising.
Pani Popo Bun Making
- Once the dough has doubled in size, tip it on to a bench. Divide it in to 15 equal pieces, you can do this by weighing the dough on a scale and diving the entire weight by 15 or you can simple eye ball it. Either way is fine.
- Now roll each piece of dough in to a sausage shape that is a 8-10cm long. Then hold one end in place and use the other end to wrap around and around in a spiral shape. Pinch the end to seal it in place.
- Place the buns on to a 25cm x 35cm tray making sure you allow equal space around each bun.
- Once you have filled the tray with the buns, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 45-50 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 165 °C on the bake setting.
- After the buns are risen, reserve 1 ¼ C of the coconut sauce for drizzling over the hot buns. Pour the rest of the sauce all over top and around the pani popo. Baste the sauce on top of the buns so each one has an equal chance of absorbing the coconut sauce goodness.
- Bake them in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven pour over the reserved coconut sauce. Eat them warm for the taste sensation of a life time.