Samoan Coconut Bread Rolls aka Pani Popo. Decadent Sweet Dinner Rolls baked in coconut milk . Light, Airy and Fluffy . Unbelievable good!!
My immense love of anything and everything coconut coupled with my continued urge to make my weekend morning worth looking forward to, steer me, towards this Coconut Samoan Sweet Bread.
I knew when I saw this recipe that I would ultimately lead me into danger zone but I did not heed warning.
They are every bit as tender, pillowy and crusty on the outside just like these my favorite sweet rolls featured here
The difference between these two rolls lies mainly in the flavor of the dough. The coconut milk adds a special depth of flavor to the dough with a slight coconut flavor- making it amazingly tender and light in texture.
When making these rolls make sure you only use enough flour to keep it from sticking to your hands – the dough should be a little bit sticky. Too hard will produce a not so soft roll.
Most of the recipes I perused through had some kind of milk in it so I did a little of research on the purpose of powdered milk in the bread. It helps to deepen the flavor and produces a crusty outer layer.
It’s still quite tasty without it.
I only added enough coconut milk to be absorbed by the bread. If you prefer a soggy bottom add more coconut milk (about a ¼ cup more ). This sweet rolls can be made entirely without a stand mixer.
Yes, it sure aids the process but I often make it without a stand mixer. A large bowl would do just fine.
I simple love every bite of this bread. You can certainly eat more than 5 in one sitting . No kidding!!! They are so Soft and buttery that they’re perfect eaten plain, with dinner or for breakfast.
Enjoy!!!!
Watch How to Make It
Tips and Notes
- Make sure the water is not too hot. You don’t want it warmer than body temperature.
- Divide the coconut milk in half 1 cup for the dough and the other cup to use for baking.
- A soft dough will firm up as it rises the first time, so try not to add too much flour. It’s better to err on the side of not adding enough flour than adding too much–you can always add more flour, but you can’t take it away once it’s in the dough.
- In order for your bread to be fluffy it has to double in size- be patient with it . This one took about 3 hours to really double in size. Sometimes even more . It depends on the weather.
- Go easy on the flour – Try not to add too much. It’s better to err on the side of less flour and more. Remember you can always add more flour, but you can’t take it away once it’s in the dough.
- If your bread does not rise in an hour, try turning on the oven to warm for 10 minutes. Then, turn it off and let the dough rise in the oven.
- If all fails mix rapid rise yeast into the dough and knead.
Samoan Coconut Bread Rolls aka Pani Popo. Decadent Sweet Dinner Rolls baked in coconut milk . Light, Airy and Fluffy . Unbelievable good!!
- 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoon) Active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons Warm water 105F- 115 F
- 1 can coconut milk 14-15oz divided in half
- 4 tablespoons (56.8 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (30 grams) powdered milk I used full fat milk
- ½ cup (100 grams) Sugar
- ½-1 teaspoon (2.84 grams) salt
- 3 1/2 cups (448 grams) to 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 -3 tablespoon (28.12 grams to 42.18 grams) raw sugar optional for the top
- In a standing mixer combine 3-tablespoon lukewarm water and yeast. Let it sit until dissolve for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a microwave safe medium bowl, combine 1 cup coconut milk, with the butter pieces, sugar, salt and microwave for about a minute. Stir until everything is melted. Lightly whisk in the egg and powdered milk to the butter mixture (if the mixture is too hot let it cool to a warm mixture to prevent eggs from curding.)
- Dump everything into the yeast mixture.
- Mix for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add about 3 ½ cups of flour and continue mixing dough.
- Add in enough additional flour (if needed) to make soft dough.
- Turn dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 12 minutes or more if you want airy bread.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the dough Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled.
- Punch the dough down.
- At this point the dough maybe shaped into a grease loaf pan, and place seam side down in the pan or divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into balls.
- Place in greased 12 -inch round pan and bake. You may refrigerate before baking for up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Add the remaining coconut milk in the pan. Brush the top of the loaf with coconut milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the baking pan and let it cool. I like to eat mine when it is still warm.
- Make sure the water is not too hot. You don’t want it warmer than body temperature.
- Divide the coconut milk in half 1 cup for the dough and the other cup to use for baking.
- A soft dough will firm up as it rises the first time, so try not to add too much flour. It’s better to err on the side of not adding enough flour than adding too much–you can always add more flour, but you can’t take it away once it’s in the dough.
- In order for your bread to be fluffy it has to double in size- be patient with it . This one took about 3 hours to really double in size. Sometimes even more . It depends on the weather.
- Go easy on the flour - Try not to add too much. It’s better to err on the side of less flour and more. Remember you can always add more flour, but you can’t take it away once it’s in the dough.
- If your bread does not rise in an hour, try turning on the oven to warm for 10 minutes. Then, turn it off and let the dough rise in the oven.
- If all fails mix rapid rise yeast into the dough and knead.
n a standing mixer combine 3-tablespoon lukewarm water and yeast. Let it sit until dissolve for about 5 minutes
Meanwhile in a microwave safe medium bowl, combine 1 cup coconut milk, with the butter pieces, sugar, salt and microwave for about a minute. Stir until everything is melted.
Lightly whisk in the egg and powdered milk to the butter mixture (if the mixture is too hot let it cool to a warm mixture to prevent eggs from curding.)
Dump everything into the yeast mixture.
Mix for 2 minutes at medium speed or by hand . Add about 3 ½ cups of flour and continue mixing dough.
Add in enough additional flour (if needed) to make soft dough.
Turn dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 12 minutes or more if you want airy bread.
Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the dough
Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled. Be sure to let the rolls rise otherwise your dinner rolls won’t be light and fluffy and decadent like the pictures.
After dough has doubled .Punch it down and divide it into 12 equal pieces – a little over 2 ounce a piece.
To form round balls you have to tuck the edges underneath the dough then roll the dough against the board or between your palms until round.
Arrange the shaped balls in a buttered baking dish. Space them evenly but note that they fit more snugly across the pan.
Bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
It might take about 20- 25 minutes depending on your oven. Start checking after 15 minutes. So it doesn’t brown up too fast. Lower temperature if need be.
Is there anyway I can make this without powered milk ?
Hi Mary. Yes, you can leave out the powdered milk and substitute the warm water with warm whole milk. Do let me know how it works out for you!
This is the third time this week I am baking this. Absolutely delicious! I mix the dough in my bread machine and it always comes out perfect! I also pour enough coconut milk (if you can make your own from fresh coconut is the best) over it so the balls float. Thank you for this excellent recipe.
WOW, 3rd time this week!!!
I am so glad this recipe is a hit with you, Aniko. Thank you so much for the feedback!
Correcting a previous comment I made to Charu Mathur earlier today. I made a mistake, I used 2 cups of sauce (500mL) not 1. Sorry for the added work!
Made these today. Easily the best bread I’ve EVER had, and probably one of the best things I’ve ever had. They’re incredibly simple to make too. I did everything in my stand mixer- I even used the dough hook to knead it. Took almost no effort on my part and is seriously so delicious! I could eat these every day!
I’m glad I read the recipe tips about not adding too much flour. The dough seemed really sticky and I was tempted to add more. But after letting it rise for a few hours, the texture was perfect.
Awesome!! I am a sucker for this bread, I could eat it every day too :)!! So glad it worked well for you. Thanks for stopping by!
Just wondering about what the consistency of the rolls should be like on the bottom. I made them and they were gelatinous on the bottom. I’m thinking this is partly personal taste but would like to see a picture of what the bottom should be like. Just wondering if I can start out with less milk added before baking and top it up as needed. Was still delish but I had to take mine out of the pan to cook it on the bottom. Will definitely try it again but need to tweek how I make mine.
Hi charly,
It’s slightly soggy at the bottom. One option would be to reduce the coconut milk to about 1/2 a cup before baking or leave it out completely . Hope this helps.
This is a wonderful bread u made here, but can coconut flour replace plain flour to make the bread whole coconut bread, but as l hear,u”ll hv to add psyllium husk powder or xantam stuff,am confused
Hi. Thank you for stopping by. I haven’t yet tried using coconut flour for this recipe. Would be curious to know tho.
Amazing recipe! Thank you for sharing. I split my dough in half and made half coconut bread balls and half coconut cinnamon rolls and it was amazing, both of of them. Thank you!
Amazing, Angel. I think I would try coconut cinnamon rolls one of these days 🙂 ! Thanks for sharing!
I was super excited when I came across your recipe while searching for a recipe for coconut rolls. I followed it to the T except for reducing the amount of sugar, but the end result was let’s say quite disappointing. Addition of coconut milk in the final step didn’t add anything to the flavor instead resulted in soggy bread ( I only used 200 ml/ half can)…..
I’ve made these several times now (a family favourite!) and the bottoms of the buns ARE wet because they soak up the coconut sauce. Probably not everyone likes this. The amount I use is 1 cup of sauce poured over 12 buns just prior to baking. I bake at around 170C fan forced oven for 30 minutes. The tops dry up, but the bottoms stay wet. If you let them sit for awhile after baking, the sauce on the bottoms becomes more sticky and less wet.
I have lite coconut milk in pantry will it work?
Yes it would certainly do. .
Will powdered coconut milk okay to replace powdered milk? I’m thinking more coconut flavor, I’m not crazy about powdered milk but loooove coconut. Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it.
Yes powdered coconut milk will do just fine . Do let me know how it works out for you.
What if I don’t have a microwave?
Hi, Grace. You can use a pan over a stovetop on low heat.
The bread is lovely but my concerns is the cholesterol level in the nutritional value.Please, what can we do to have a zero cholesterol level
I grew up on these rolls! But now, as I’ve got older had a few food intolerances like gluten **CRYING MY EYES OUT! I would love to make the and have a premix 1-1 gluten free baking mix, was wondering if I could substitute the flour with it? Or does the yeast need flour to make the dough to rise?
thanks
b
Changing the recipe would change it’s consistency. And yeast makes it soft and tender.
Can I use coconut milk powder instead of powdered milk?
Yes you can.
Can you use powdered buttermilk instead of regular powdered milk
Hi Christy,
Yes you can.
Hi, ive been using all your recipes and i must say good job! I want to make thjs bread but im confused about the measurment of the yeast and flour. Is the yeast 2 spoons and then a quater? And the flour 3 cups and a half? Pls reply
Yes it is. 2 1/4 teaspoon (1 packet) and the flour is 3 1/2 cups(3 cups plus 1/2 cup) , you might to adjust the flour with more or less, to get a soft dough. Less flour is better.
Absolute dream of a bread. The dough is soft and supple. Great for first timers. I have some in the oven now!!!
Also, sistah girl, your website is slamming. The photos, the staging, the nuance of textures and colors along with the natural flow of sequencing…great!
Aww, thanks Carolyn! You are too much Girl!!!! So happy to like it .
Min came out good but they didn’t turn out as sweet as what I thought they would be and mine came out kind of dense. Any suggestions?
You might want to add more sugar if you like yours really sweet. Did you let it proof enough(double in size) ? This is an essential part of these rolls. Without it your rolls will be dense.
Can I use self Raising flour
Self rising flour is not ideal in this recipe. I haven’t tried it out , so can’t say for sure.
So I tried this out today and they turned out amazing, ingredients and instructions were super, thanks so much
Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out well for you
I am from Hawaii and our polynesian foods are very similar. I must say these pani Popo’s are really good. Here and in most Samoan families, we use a lot of coconut milk, that is why we look so “healthy” lol! Meaning kinda fat! lol! Our pani’s usually have about a can of coconut milk on the bottom, turns into a pudding like sauce. Like “Haupia” a Hawaiian coconut milk pudding, very traditional here. GREAT blog!!!!!
Awesome ! Oh,I love “haupia” , made it several times. Haven’t made it in a while though… will have to revisit.Thanks for sharing!!!
So I made this yesterday and I have just one word to say ….Amazing!!! Tnx so much for sharing this recipe its 100%. Of goodness i thoroughly enjoyed it and I will definitely b making this on a regular
Virtual High Five! Thanks for letting me know.
is there only one rise? or should we let it rise after shaping them? im planing to make them today
I usually let it rise one more time, about 10 minutes, after shaping it.
Finally I made these yesterday. And it turned out great. Thanku soo much for this recipe.
Yes 2 times
thanku
Could you mix the dough in a bread maker? It is a lot easier for me that way.
You sure can.
Hi, is there a way to make the rolls without eggs? Would appreciate it!
Yes , you can . Replace with 1/4 cup milk
Pass me some will you?? Ps: I wonder if almond/cashew/peanut flour (finely ground nuts) could stand in for the powdered milk, it’s something I have never kept in my pantry lol. And peanut + coconut is one of my faves. Of course I would sub by weight not volume. Pps: I tried your chole with coconut milk and no tomato, it was good! (though I put too much red pepper for my tolerance level, next time I’ll make it plain because winter is coming and I don’t feel like sweating). I will make it again with sweet potato bread to accompany it, will tell you back. I wish you good everything, Didi.
Have yet to try it with ground peanuts or almonds. I bet it would add another layer of flavor to it . And make even better! Would be curious to know…
How does it work using a bread maker? Have you done this in a bread maker before? A step by step explanation will be well appreciated.
Thanks for the good job you are doing.
Hi! Thank you so much for this recipe! I had 2 cups of flour only, so I had to slightly ‘eye’ the other measurements, but it came out alright. The consistency isn’t what you showed, just because I still had a little too much liquid in there, but the taste is phenomenal!!!! I would post a photo for you to see, but I don’t think I see where I could do that 🙂 lol. Thank you again for this awesome recipe!!!
Thanks for the feedback Sophia. It’s really important that you have accurate measurements in other to get the best results. Would love to see the way it turned out . You can try posting on Facebook or instagram . Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
Just made rolls. Result was very good. I did not use powder milk ( isually don’t keep it on kitchen stock :)). My concern was that bread might be too sweet, but at the end the taste is very balanced. Thank you for aharing.
By only adding a small amount of the milk you missed out on the best part. The bread doesn’t get soggy the coconut milk thickens to a delicious sauce and its amazing.
Hi Harlee! Thanks for sharing.
I made these rolls today and they are incredible. I was out of milk and only had coconut milk on hand and googled coconut dinner rolls…incredible!!! The picture on your blog doesn’t do the rolls justice. I had never seen or heard of baking rolls in a cast iron skillet…GeNiUs; I <3 the idea. It makes sooo much sense because that is the only way I will bake cornbread. Thanks for sharing.
Aww thanks Nique. I wish I could take credit for that idea but just picked it from cookbooks and other blogs. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback.
I am in love with your website and all your yummy recipes. Thank you so much for sharing. Can I replace the powdered milk by milk??
Thanks Roxee, No you can’t .In baking you can only replace solids with solids, liquid with liquids. However, you can omit the powdered milk. Please let me know how it works for you.
Ok I will try it this weekend and will let you know. Thank you for your answer.
I am not sure if I should kiss you or kick you (that is, if I meet you). I find myself in the kitchen almost always since I discovered your blog and it is telling on me. I need to hit the gym before…. Your recipes are awesome!
I just tried this one today and couldn’t stop eating……yummy!!
Karen, say no more! Every time, I look at these rolls , I want to head straight to the Kitchen.
I can’t get over how amazing these rolls are! I gave some to a neighbor because I thought I wouldn’t be able to eat them all and then I was totally regretting it, haha! They were SO GOOD! I sprinkled mine with coarse salt instead of sugar, it was amazing. Thanks so much for the recipe! I blogged about it over here: http://thefoodcharlatan.com/2013/11/20/samoan-coconut-rolls/
as always they look great! Maybe you could place the metric conversions in the recipe? Thx :-)))
Shanna, will work on that . Thanks
i can already taste the wonderfulness of these rolls
Rima, they sure are mouth watering.
Thank you so much for sharing this one. I am making this to tomorrow for my little man to take to school. Hope the kids will love it along with some hot chocolate. 🙂 This looks good and I love coconut. 🙂
Finally made some and oh my dear, it is good! My new favorite bread. The coconut really is a must and it smells good and makes it pillowy soft. 🙂 Thanks again! http://www.chetopianfamily4.com/2013/11/food-share-samoan-coconut-bread.html
Adin , glad you enjoyed this coconut bread as much as I do. ..and greatly appreciate you reporting back .
What can I use to replace the powdered milk? I’m allergic to milk.
Just omit it.