Pan de Coco (Honduran Coconut Bread Rolls)
Local name: Pan de coco
In short: Soft, lightly sweet rolls enriched with coconut milk and shredded coconut, baked until golden, a favorite on the Caribbean coast of Honduras. It takes about 1 h in total and makes 12 servings.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Resting
- 2 h
- Total
- 1 h
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 300 kcal
Coconut turns up in almost everything on Honduras's Caribbean coast, including the daily bread. These pan de coco rolls have a soft, tender crumb and a gentle coconut flavor, sweet enough for breakfast but happy next to a savory plate. Eat them warm with butter or cheese, or dunk them in coffee. The dough rises twice and is easy to handle, even for a first-time bread baker.
Instructions
- Stir the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar into the warm coconut milk. Leave for 8 minutes, until foamy.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, remaining sugar, salt and shredded coconut. Add the yeast mixture, egg and melted coconut oil.
- Mix to a shaggy dough, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If it is very sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is stiff, add a splash of coconut milk.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces of about 85 g (3 oz) each and roll them into smooth balls. Set them 3 cm (1 1/4 in) apart on a lined baking sheet, cover and let rise for 40 minutes, until puffy.
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush the rolls with the yolk glaze and sprinkle with the extra coconut.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving.
Tips
- Use canned full-fat coconut milk, not the thin carton drink. Shake the can well or warm it gently so the cream and water blend before measuring.
- For a deeper flavor, toast the shredded coconut in a dry pan for 3 minutes until light gold, and let it cool before mixing it into the dough.
Questions and answers
Can I use fresh coconut for pan de coco?
Yes. Grate about 100 g (1 cup) of fresh coconut, and make fresh coconut milk by blending coconut flesh with warm water and straining it. The rolls come out softer and more fragrant.
How do I store and reheat pan de coco?
Keep the rolls in an airtight bag for 2 days at room temperature, or freeze them for up to 2 months. Warm them in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 8 minutes to refresh them.
Is pan de coco sweet?
Mildly. It is sweeter than dinner rolls and less sweet than cake, so it works with butter or cheese at breakfast as well as with coffee.
How long does it take to make Pan de Coco (Honduran Coconut Bread Rolls)?
About 1 h in total: 35 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Pan de Coco (Honduran Coconut Bread Rolls)?
About 300 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 40 g of carbohydrates and 13 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 300 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 200 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
