Siargao Pan De Coco

March 9, 2023

Some meals bring comfort in a way that others just don’t. They wrap you up in their sweet charm and comfort you with their soft, pillowy bread. Pan de coco is one such meal. Served fresh and warm all across the Philippines, we enjoyed these delightful little buns in Siargao in the afternoon sun. Sweet bread buns filled with sweet, sticky coconut. You’ve got to try them for yourself!

SERVES 8 (2 BUNS PER PERSON)

For the Dough
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (70g) white sugar
1t (12g) instant dry yeast
¾ cup (185ml) lukewarm milk
¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil (plus extra for greasing)
¼t salt

For the Filling
2 cups desiccated coconut
¾ cup dark brown sugar, unpacked
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
3T butter
½T vanilla extract
1T flour, dissolved in ¼ cup milk

For the Egg Wash
1 egg, beaten
1T water

Make the Dough:
In a large bowl, sift together the flour and sugar. Add the instant dry yeast and mix. Add the lukewarm milk, vegetable oil, and salt. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix until it sticks together and forms a dough.

Turn the dough out onto a clean, flat surface and knead for 5 minutes. Avoid adding more flour or the bread will be too dense and crumbly. If it is too sticky, apply some oil to your hands (this will prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers). If it is too dry, add a bit of oil to the dough. The dough will become less tacky and easier to handle as you continue kneading.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Leave it to rise for 30 minutes to an hour or until it has almost doubled in size.

Make the Coconut Filling:

In a pan over low heat, combine desiccated coconut, brown sugar, coconut milk, water, butter, and vanilla extract. Bring the contents to a simmer. Cook until liquid is mostly absorbed. Add the flour and milk paste, stirring to combine. Continue to cook, stirring regularly (for another 2-3 minutes or until thick and sticky).
Remove filling from heat and allow to cool slightly. P.S. You may have some filling left over once you’ve filled your buns – use it as an ice cream sundae topping or crepe filling!

Filling Time: Gently deflate the dough and tip it to a clean, flat surface. Roll into a log and cut in half. Roll each half again and cut in two. Divide each log into 4 equal parts for a total of 16 pieces.

Cover the dough pieces with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 3-5 minutes. Flatten each dough piece with the palm of your hand. Hold the flattened dough in the curve of your hand and add about 1T of the coconut filling in the centre. Pinch the corners together to fully enclose the filling and form 24 buns.

Arrange the filled buns, pinched side down, on a greased baking sheet at about 1 inch apart.

Using a fork, poke small holes in the centre of each filled bun. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for another 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Bake the buns for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with egg wash. Return to oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.