Pan de Coco (Coconut Bread)

Pan de Coco (Coconut Bread) is a soft, fluffy sweet bun with sweetened coconut filling. It could be eaten as a snack or dessert. It is perfect with your favourite coffee, tea, unsweetened hot chocolate, or on its own!

This coconut bread is one of the most common Filipino bread, available in local bakeries. It is originated from Spain, but I have learned that this is also a Honduran staple. Pan de Coco (Coconut Bread) is a plump dinner roll serve alongside a meal of rice, beans, and fried plantains in Honduras. In Spain and in the Philippines, it is enjoyed as a snack or dessert. Are you ready to make your own Pan de Coco (Coconut Bread)?

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Pan de Coco (Coconut Bread) Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DOUGH:  

4 cups of flour (plain, all-purpose)

¾ cup of sugar

¼ ounce (2 ¼ teaspoons) instant dry yeast

1 ¼ cup lukewarm milk

½ cup of vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt  

FOR THE FILLING:  

2 cups desiccated coconut

¾ cup brown sugar unpacked (In this recipe, I used white sugar)

1 cup milk (fresh, whole, coconut)

3 tablespoons butter

½ tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon flour, dissolved in ¼ cup milk  

FOR THE EGG WASH:  

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon water

How to Make Pan de Coco (Coconut Bread)?

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and sugar. Add the dry yeast and mix.  

3. Add the lukewarm milk vegetable oil, and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until it sticks together and forms a dough.  

4. Turn the dough on a clean, flat surface and knead for 5 minutes. Apply some oil on your hands to prevent the dough from sticking. Continue kneading until the dough gets less tacky and easier to handle.  

5. Grease the bowl and place the dough in. Cover with a plastic wrap or clean kitchen cloth. Leave it to rise for 30 minutes to an hour, or until the dough has doubled its size.  

6. MAKE FILLING: In a pan, combine desiccated coconut, brown sugar, coconut milk, water, butter, and vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook until liquid is mostly absorbed. Remove filling from heat and allow to slightly cool.  

7. Gently punch the dough and tip it to a flat surface. Roll the dough into a log and cut in half. Then cut each roll into two. Divide each log into 6 equal parts for a total of 24 pieces of dough.  

8. Cover the dough pieces with a kitchen towel and let rest for at least 3-5 minutes.  

9. Flatten each dough with the palm of your hand. Hold the flattened dough in the curve of your hand and add 1 tablespoon of coconut filling. Pinch the corners together to fully enclose the filling.  

10. Arrange the filled dough, pinched side down on a baking sheet about an inch apart.  

11. Poke small holes in the centre of each filled-dough with a fork. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for another 20-30 minutes.  

12. Bake in a 340 degrees F or degrees C for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with egg wash. Return to oven and bake for another 4 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve this Pan de Coco with family and friends!

NOTES:

• When kneading, avoid adding more flour or the bread will be too dense and crumbly.
• If the dough is too sticky, apply some oil on your hands to prevent the dough from sticking.
• If the dough is too dry, add some oil to the dough.
• If you prefer filling to be more compact and sticky, add 1 tablespoon flour dissolved in ¼ cup milk after the liquid has been absorbed.
• If the dough didn’t rise, the yeast could be expired and no longer active.

Did you make this Pan de Coco (Coconut Bread)? Please leave us a comment below.

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