Pani Popo (Samoan Coconut Bread Rolls)
Samoan Coconut Bread Rolls (Pani Popo) are decadent sweet dinner rolls. Light, airy, and baked in a delicious coconut sauce, these melt-in-your-mouth bread rolls are insanely soft.
My immense love of everything coconut, coupled with my constant urge to look forward to my weekend mornings, has led me to the fabulous Samoan coconut bread rolls. When I saw this recipe, I knew it was heading into the danger zone, but did I heed the warning? Of course not!
They’re every bit as tender, pillowy, and crusty as my favorite sweet bread rolls. The biggest difference between the two is mainly the coconut milk. It adds a unique tropical flavor and is amazingly soft and light.
What Is Pani Popo?
Samoan coconut bread rolls, or pani popo, are straightforward and delicious. This soft, slightly sweet dinner roll baked in a mouthwatering coconut sauce has a rich, gooey bottom. Kinda like a sticky bun with coconut instead of cinnamon.
Most of the recipes I perused had milk. It deepens the flavor and produces a beautiful golden and crusty outer layer. I only added as much coconut milk as the bread could absorb. If you prefer a soggy bottom, add more coconut milk (about a ¼ cup more).
I loved every bite of this bread. You can certainly eat more than five in one sitting!
How to Make Pani Popo
- Activate Yeast – Combine three tablespoons of lukewarm water and the yeast in a standing mixer. Let it sit until the yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. (Photo 1)
- Wet Ingredients – Meanwhile, microwave one cup of coconut milk with the butter, sugar, and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl for about a minute. Stir until everything melts. (Photo 2)
- Egg – Lightly whisk the egg and powdered milk into the butter mixture. (Photo 3-4)
- Combine – Dump the coconut butter and egg mixtures into the yeast mixture. Mix for two minutes at medium speed or by hand.
- Flour – Add 3½ cups of flour and continue mixing the dough. Add flour as needed to make a soft bread dough. (Photos 5-6)
- Knead – Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-12 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning it once to coat it with oil. (Photos 7-8)
- Rise – Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for an hour or two or until doubled.
- Rolls – After the dough doubles, punch it down and divide it into 12 equal pieces – a little over 2 ounces apiece. Form round balls, tucking the edges underneath the dough, then rolling it against the board or between your palms until it’s round. (Photos 9-11)
- Bake – Arrange the shaped balls in a buttered baking dish. Bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped (20-25 minutes, depending on your oven). (Photo 12)
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The soft dough will firm up as it rises the first time, so avoid adding too much flour.
- The dough needs to double in size to make fluffy bread. So, be patient. Rising time depends on the weather, humidity, and altitude.
- Try turning on the oven to warm for 10 minutes, then turn it off and let the dough rise in the oven to speed it up.
Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions
Samoan coconut bread rolls are best right out of the oven. But they’re almost as good reheated in the oven or toaster oven. A few seconds (not more than 10 seconds) in the microwave can also bring back that fresh melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
Allow leftover bread to cool completely, then store it in a bread-worthy container. It doesn’t need to be airtight, but you want your bread to stay moist. If it’s still hot, the steam will make it soggy and mold faster.
Freezing. They freeze well for 4-6 months. Thaw them in the fridge and reheat them in the oven for a few minutes.
What to Enjoy With Pani Popo
This recipe goes great with any Micronesian, Polynesian, or Asian food. For example, Hawaiian grilled chicken thighs and Caribbean-style fried rice would be perfect. A steaming hot cup of coffee and a plateful of pani popo for an afternoon pick-me-up always make me a happy camper.
More Easy Bread Recipes to Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”1agyDoFu” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 20:37:44 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Samoan Coconut Bread Rolls (Pani Popo)” description=”Samoan Coconut Bread Rolls aka Pani Popo. Decadent Sweet Dinner Rolls baked in coconut milk . Light, Airy and Fluffy . Unbelievably good!!”]
This blog post was first published in November 2016 and has been updated with additional tips and a video
Pani Popo (Samoan Coconut Bread Rolls)
Ingredients
- 1 package active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) lukewarm water (105-115℉/40-45℃)
- 1 14-ounce can coconut milk, divided in half
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (30g) powdered milk (I used full fat)
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- ½-1 teaspoon (3-6g) salt
- 3½-3¾ cups (420-450g) all-purpose flour
- 2-3 tablespoons (24-36g) raw sugar (optional for the top)
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, combine 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water and yeast. Let it set until dissolved and starting to foam (about 5 minutes).
- Meanwhile, combine 1 cup of coconut milk, the butter pieces, sugar, and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for about a minute, stirring occasionally until everything melts but doesn't boil.
- Lightly whisk the egg and powdered milk into the butter mixture (if the mixture is too hot, let it cool to lukewarm to prevent the eggs from curdling).
- Dump the liquid ingredients into the yeast mixture. Mix for two minutes at medium speed or by hand.
- Add about 3½ cups of flour and continue mixing the dough. Add additional flour as needed to make a soft dough.
- Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-12 minutes (longer if you want airy bread).
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the dough with oil. Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours or until doubled.
- Punch the dough down. At this point, choose what shape you want. You can shape the dough into a loaf and put it in a greased loaf pan, seam side down. Or you can divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, shape them into balls, and place them in a greased 12-inch round pan. You can refrigerate the uncooked bread for up to 24 hours.
- If making rolls, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces – a little over 2 ounces apiece. Form round balls, tucking the edges underneath the dough, then rolling it against the board or between your palms until it's round. Arrange the shaped balls in a buttered baking dish. Let it rise until doubled in size.
- While the bread rises, preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Pour the remaining coconut milk into the baking dish. Brush the top of the rolls with coconut milk and sprinkle with optional sugar.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown and the rolls sound hollow when tapped (20-25 minutes, depending on your oven).
- If making a loaf, place it in a greased loaf pan, pour the remaining coconut milk over it, sprinkle with sugar, and let it rise while the oven preheats. Bake it for 30-35 minutes (how long depends on your oven) until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
- Remove from the baking pan and let them cool. I like to eat mine when they're still hot.
Tips & Notes:
- Make sure the water isn’t too hot so it doesn’t kill the yeast. It should be lukewarm and feel like body temperature.
- Divide the coconut milk into half: 1 cup for the dough and the other 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 too little flour because you can always add more, but you can’t remove it.
- For fluffy bread, it has to double in size, so be patient. These took about 3 hours to truly double in size. Depending on the weather, it can take longer.
- If your bread doesn’t start rising in an hour, try turning the oven on to warm for 10 minutes. Then, turn it off and put the dough in the oven to rise.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.
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.