PANI POPO (Coconut Buns) – Parāoa Kokonati
My Samoan husband Paul introduced me to pani popo and I am so glad that he did! Are they the Samoan alternative to the cinnamon scroll? Tērā pea – perhaps! They are soft, sweet buns, cooked in a delicious, creamy coconut sauce. I have added coconut milk in to the dough to really drive home the coconut flavour. The aroma that fills your whare (house) when these are baking is just so divine, it will have your neighbours banging down the door!
Can I change the sugar in this recipe?
Āe ra – yes! I have used huka one (caster sugar) in this recipe but granulated sugar and brown sugar would also work.
Can I use plain flour instead of high grade flour?
Hmmm…yes, you can swap high grade flour for plain flour BUT only if you are desperate! High grade flour has a higher protein content and helps get that wonderful stretch in the gluten. I have made bread with plain flour (in times of desperation) but there is definitely a slight difference in the finished product.
How do I know when the dough is ready after kneading?
Firstly, follow the timings that I have stated in the recipe for the hand kneaded or machine kneaded dough. Kneading correctly and long enough is the key to the success of any yeasted dough. Knead the dough until it is stretchy and springs back when pressed. If you press it and it stays dented and doesn’t spring back, knead it for another minute and test it again. You can see I do this method in the video below. You can also try the window pane test to check whether it needs more kneading or not. Check out my how to knead dough post for a more in-depth look at kneading.
My dough is sticky, what do I do?
This recipe calls for a slightly sticky dough as the buns have the addition of an egg and butter in them. The egg is added first into the yeast and flour mixture. We knead the dough for 8 minutes without the butter. This releases the gluten and a soft dough starts to form. Then, the butter gets dotted on to the dough. As you knead in the butter it will get super sticky for a minute or so but stick with it as it will come together. As a rule, try and refrain from adding extra flour but if the sticky dough is getting you down, add a tablespoon extra flour and knead for 30 seconds before adding any more.
How do I serve a pani popo?
Serve these pani popo fresh from the oven for the best eating experience. As you serve them, flip each pani popo on to a plate and drizzle with the coconut sauce from the bottom of the tray. And no, in this video that is not what I did but I have since observed my husband and know this is the superior way!
Samoan Coconut Buns Pani popo
Ingredients
The Coconut Dough – Te Pokenga Kokonati
- 1 can miraka kokonati (coconut milk)
- ¾ C wai wera (hot water, from the tap)
- ¼ C huka one (caster sugar)
- 2 tsp īhi tere (instant yeast)
- 1 hēki (egg, size 6)
- 2 tsp wanira (vanilla)
- 1 tsp tote (salt, fine)
- 3 ¾ C 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)
- Remainder of miraka kokonati (coconut milk)
- 1 can 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.
Sui Sio
Tried this for the first time during the long weekend and they were a hit with the whānau!! Best receipe will keep this one for future whānau gatherings 🙂
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Oh that is so wonderful to hear, so glad that you and the whānau enjoyed them! 💗
Ashley
Bread was lovely and fluffy but i was not a fan of the sauce. This is my personal opinion but if you like Vanilla this is right up your ally! Overall its a great bake and would encourage you to give it a try. Will certainly try this again but with a coconut cream sauce only.
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Kia ora, sorry you didn’t like the sauce. We love it but everyone has different preferences aye! Thanks for trying my recipe.