Monica Galetti’s pani popo coconut buns recipe

Soft, coconut-scented treats that are hard to resist.

Monica Galetti’s pani popo coconut buns recipe (Yuki Sugiura/PA)

“Pani popo has to be my favourite sweet bun from Samoa. Traditionally baked in large trays – perfect for big families – I only started making them after moving to the UK, when I realised I’d miss that steady supply of buns from aunties back home,” says chef Monica Galetti. ” I’ve adapted the recipe over time, even serving them at our restaurant flambéed with rum, and recently brought a batch to church for International Sunday, which went down a treat. There’s something about the soft, coconut-scented buns that instantly takes me back to Samoa – though now, thankfully, I don’t have to eat a whole tray on my own!”

Pani popo coconut buns recipe

Ingredients

(Makes 8)

• 1½tbsp caster sugar

• 150ml warm milk

• 1tbsp instant yeast

• 2 pinches of fine sea salt

• 250g strong white bread flour plus extra for dusting

• 60g demerara sugar

• 400ml good quality, thick coconut milk

• 100ml water

• 2tbsp desiccated coconut, toasted

• 50g unsalted butter, melted

Method:

1. In a jug, mix together the caster sugar, warm milk and yeast.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the salt and flour. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk mixture. Stir to combine until it comes together, then tip out onto a lightly floured worktop and knead the dough to a smooth ball. Return to the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place to rest for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

3. In another jug, mix together 50g of the demerara sugar, the coconut milk and the water. Pour half into a 32cm x 26cm x 5cm baking tin or dish, and sprinkle with the desiccated coconut.

4. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and knead for a few minutes to knock back the dough. Divide and shape the dough into 8 rolls. Place them seam-side down onto the coconut milk, leaving about 3cm space in between each roll. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for another 40 minutes or until the rolls have risen enough to fill the gaps and touch each other.

5. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas 4. Brush the tops of the rolls with the butter and sprinkle with the remaining 10g demerara sugar. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden and risen.

6. Remove from the oven, pour over the reserved sugary coconut milk and allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving.

(Pavilion/PA)

Gathering: A Celebration Of Flavours From Polynesia & Beyond by Monica Galetti is published in hardback by Pavilion Books, priced £26. Photography by Yuki Sugiura. Available now.