coconut buns

Coconut buns, or cocktail buns (chicken tail buns) are a favorite at Chinese bakeries. This recipe is soft, fluffy, authentic, and incredibly easy to make.

Coconut Buns (Chinese Cocktail Buns)

heavy cream ((160 ml, at room temperature))

milk ((plus 1 tablespoon, total 250 ml,

egg ((at room temperature))

sugar ((75 grams))

cake flour ((70 g))

bread flour ((500 grams))

active dry yeast ((11 grams))

salt ((7 grams))

butter ((85 grams, softened))

sugar

cake flour ((19 grams))

dry milk powder ((30 grams))

coconut ((40 grams))

cake flour ((38 grams))

butter ((43 grams, softened))

egg wash ((1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water))

sesame seeds ((9 grams))

Start by making the bread dough, and be sure your ingredients are at room temperature. In the bowl of a mixer, add the heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt (in that order). Using the dough hook attachment, turn on the mixer at its lowest setting.

Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together. (Note: if you’re in a humid climate, and the dough is too sticky, add more flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough comes together). After 15 minutes, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 1 hour. The dough will grow to about 1.5X its original size.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by thoroughly combining all the filling ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

After the bread dough has proofed for an hour, put the dough back in the mixer and knead slowly for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces.

Flatten each piece of dough with your hands into a rough oval shape, about 4 inches long and 3 inches wide. Spread about a tablespoon of filling onto the middle of the dough, and roll it into a cigar, tucking the ends under the bun to completely seal the filling in. We like this method because it evenly distributes the filling throughout the bun.

Transfer the buns to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise for another 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. For the topping, mix together 1/3 cup cake flour, 3 tablespoons softened butter, and 4 ½ teaspoons caster sugar, and transfer to a piping bag or small zip top bag with a small corner cut off. Set aside.

Once the buns have risen, brush with egg wash. Pipe two stripes of your topping mixture onto each bun, and sprinkle each with sesame seeds. Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and brush with the sugar syrup.

Coconut buns are a beloved Chinese bakery favorite, but the coconut filling is often lumped in the middle. This &quot;inside out&quot; version has coconut filling evenly distributed throughout the soft bun!

Inside-Out Hong Kong Coconut Buns

heavy cream ((at room temperature))

milk ((whole milk preferred, but you can use 2%,

cake flour flour

bread flour ((tap measuring cup to avoid air pockets))

active dry yeast

salt

sweetened coconut flakes ((sweetened or unsweetened))

milk powder ((non-fat

butter ((melted; salted

milk

egg ((beaten))

sugar ((dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water))

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add ingredients in the following order: heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt. Turn the mixer on to the lowest setting to bring the dough together. Knead on low speed for 15 minutes. If needed, turn off the mixer to bring the dough together with a rubber spatula.

The dough should not stick to the sides of the mixer, but it may look a little bit sticky (sticking to the bottom of the mixer is ok). If you’re in a humid climate, and the dough is sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together. Alternatively, you can stir all the dough ingredients together with a wooden spoon in a large mixing bowl, and then knead by hand for 20 minutes.

Shape the dough into a ball, and cover the bowl with an overturned plate or damp towel. Place in a warm spot to proof for 75-90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (A good proofing environment is a closed microwave, with a mug of hot boiled water next to the bowl.)

While that&#039;s happening, mix the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut, milk powder, sugar, salt, melted butter, egg yolks, and milk. Set aside.

After the first proof, knead for another 5 minutes to punch the air out of it. Then dump the dough on a lightly floured surface, shape it into a ball, and cut it in half. Cut each half of dough into 6 pieces, so you get 12 equal pieces of dough.

To shape the buns, knead and roll piece of dough into an even ball, and flatten. Roll into a 5x10 inch rectangle. Spread a layer of filling onto the rectangle, pressing the filling into the dough and leaving about a half inch of margin all around.

Roll the dough lengthwise into a cigar. Cut the cigar in half lengthwise, leaving it attached at the top end, so it looks like a long pair of pants. Twist the two pieces together, and then roll into a round spiral/snail shape, tucking the ends underneath the bun. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. You’ll need two baking sheets, with 6 buns on each.

Cover with a damp towel, and proof the buns for 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Brush the risen buns with beaten egg, and bake for 22-26 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven, and while the buns are still warm, brush with sugar solution.

These vegan pani popo are fluffy with a sweet coconut milk sauce! They&#039;re super delicious and easy to make!

Pani Popo - Samoan Sweet Coconut Buns (Vegan!)

water ((about 100°F/38°C))

dry yeast

all-purpose flour

coconut oil, melted

6.75 fl oz canned coconut milk

In a bowl, combine lukewarm water, sugar, yeast, and set aside for about 5 minutes until the mixture is frothy.

In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour and salt. Add coconut milk, melted coconut oil, and the yeast mixture. Mix the ingredients together until it comes together, and take it out onto a clean surface.

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it forms a smooth ball. Put the dough in a large bowl greased with coconut oil, cover, and let it rise about an hour until it&#39;s doubled in size.

Gently deflate the dough in the bowl and take it out onto your work surface. Separate the dough into 12 equal balls. Place the balls in a 9x13 inch pan greased with coconut oil, cover, and let it rise again for about 45 minutes.

While the buns are rising, make the sweet coconut sauce. In a small bowl, combine coconut milk and sugar. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

Pour about ⅔ of the sweet coconut sauce over the buns and bake for about 30 minutes.

Once the buns come out of the oven, pour the rest of the coconut milk mixture over the top.

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Top 3 coconut buns recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

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The most viewed coconut buns recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine