If this Soft and Fluffy Coconut Milk Bread is bringing on a little deja vu, it might be because you saw last week's post about Coconut Milk Sandwich Bread. Yes, now there are two coconut yeast bread recipes on Cookie Madness. I'm going to have to move on from coconut milk based yeast breads, but I have to tell you about this one because it's such a great way to use canned coconut milk.
Fluffy Coconut Milk Bread is just as delicious as the Coconut Milk Sandwich Bread, but different. The sandwich bread contains oats and is a little firmer, while this "fluffy" version is super soft. In fact it's so soft it might be mistaken for Japanese Milk Bread or even brioche. I made it as a loaf, but now I can't wait to make it again as hamburger or hot dog buns. It also has a good flavor. You can taste the coconut milk, but it's melded in with the flavor of butter, sugar and salt so the bread's got some character, but isn't what I'd classify as coconutty tasting.
Vegan Fluffy Coconut Milk Bread
Since there are no eggs in Fluffy Coconut Milk Bread, you can use oil or vegan butter and make it vegan. As I write this, Miyoko's butter is on sale, so maybe I'll test a vegan version sooner or later. Plus I'm looking for an excuse to finally buy Miyoko's. I love all these new plant butters and am kind of making my way through all the brands. Country Crock with Almond Butter is still the best.
But vegan or not, I'm pleasantly surprised with how light and soft this loaf is. My only mistake was to use too small of a pan. I used an 8x4, when an 8 ½ by 4 ½ would have been a better fit. The base of the 8x4 inch pan was too narrow so the bottom squishes inward. At least it gives you an idea how soft this is.
Here's a picture of the smooth and elastic dough.
I loved the feel of this dough and didn't have any problems rolling and shaping the four cylinders that go adjacent to each other in the loaf pan. The technique of putting four rolls together to make one loaf is new to me, and I need some practice! Too bad there are only two people to eat all of this. The drawback of loving to bake is never having enough people to feed.
Here's the ingredient rundown. Hopefully there's something helpful here.
Fluffy Bread with Coconut Milk Ingredients
- Yeast -- I've been using SAF instant yeast. Normally you just add instant yeast to the dry ingredients, but I went ahead and dissolved it in the coconut milk.
- Flour -- The loaf pictured was made with bread flour, but AP flour should be okay too.
- Coconut Milk -- Full fat type from a can. I always use Wegman's or Trader Joe's brand.
- Butter -- Salted works perfectly. If you use unsalted, add a pinch more salt to the recipe. To make it more like Honduran Coconut Bread, use 3 tablespoons of coconut oil.
- Sugar -- Lots of sugar in this loaf, yet it's not a sweet loaf.
Fluffy Coconut Milk Hamburger Buns
I finally made hamburger buns with this recipe and was pleased with the results. The buns were fluffy and had a great flavor. Instructions are in the Notes section.
Honduran Coconut Bread
I'm not sure if there are any places that serve authentic Honduran food near me and I'm not that familiar with the cuisine, but a long-time reader says this is similar to Honduran Coconut Bread, Pan de Coco. Pan de Coco is typically dairy-free, so to make it more like Pan de Coco from Honduras, use 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in place of the 4 tablespoons of butter.
Recipe
Fluffy Bread with Coconut Milk
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut milk (230 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¾ cups plus 2 T. bread flour (AP should be okay too)** (about 370 grams)
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted (unsalted okay too)
- ½ teaspoon salt (use ¾ teaspoon if using unsalted butter
- oil for bowl
Instructions
- Put the coconut milk in a microwave-safe measuring cup and heat for about 45-60 seconds. Remove from heat, insert a thermometer and let cool to between 110 and 115 degrees.
- Pour the milk into a stand mixer bowl and add the sugar and instant yeast. Stir to dissolve sugar, then wait about 5 to 10 minutes to make sure the yeast is active (it should bubble and foam). Once you trust your yeast, Add the melted butter and salt.
- Begin adding flour gradually, starting with 2 cups (260 grams). Continue adding remaining flour ¼ cup (about 35 grams) at a time or until the dough is not sticky (this should happen at about 310 grams flour)
- Set bowl on stand mixer and begin kneading with the dough hook. As you knead, dough will most likely start to stick to the sides of the bowl, even though it seemed dry at first. Continue adding remaining flour ¼ cup at a time until dough no longer clings to the side of the bowl. It should be smooth and easy to handle.
- Put dough in a bowl slicked with oil, then cover and let rise until it doubles in bulk (about 45 minutes to an hour).
- Punch down dough. Shape dough into a log about 12 inches, then cut into 4 equal pieces. Take one piece and flatten into a rectangle. Roll into a cylinder and place in a greased loaf pan. Repeat with remaining 3 pieces as pictured in the unbaked, risen loaf above.
- Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and let rise again for about 30 minutes or until it comes up over the sides of the pan. If you want, you can brush the top of the unbaked dough with coconut milk.
- Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Let cool.
Anna
Well, I guess I'll have to buy the Miyoko's. I am having a hard time letting myself spend $6.00 on butter.
d
It will be interesting to see which dairy free butter you like after trying Miyoko's. I've tried about a dozen. I use hers for everything. It browns up nicely for cookies. It's excellent.