Pan de Coco is a soft bread roll which is filled with sweetened grated coconut. A Philippine dish also known as Coconut Bread that is traditionally served as small, handheld loaves. The texture of the Pan De Coco bread is soft, light and fluffy with an irresistibly sweet, coconut center. We are certain that our version of this delicious sweet bread is the best Pan de Coco recipe you will find.

Our unique Pan de Coco recipe is prepared in a banneton basket as a large sourdough loaf, the benefit of using a sourdough proofing basket is the presentation of a perfectly formed loaf which is sure to impress. Follow the detailed recipe below to learn how to make pan de coco to add to your home cooking repertoire.

A detailed instruction on how to make Pan de Coco at home with the help of a sourdough proofing basket.

1 loaf

Preparation     4 hours

Rest                 Overnight      

Cooking           1 hour

Jug

Dough whisk

Mixing bowl

Saucepan

Spatula

Round banneton basket

Dough scraper

Bread lame

Pastry brush

Dutch oven

Kitchen towel

• 50ml water
• 12g sourdough starter
• 50g bread flour

• 60g yogurt
• 260g coconut milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 50g unsalted butter, melted
• 300g bread flour
• 100g spelt flour
• 10g sea salt
• 100g unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 banana leaf, cut into a square
• Rice flour, for dusting

• 30g unsalted butter
• 30g brown sugar
• 60g coconut milk
• 60g unsweetened shredded coconut

• Prepare the levain - In a jug combine the water, sourdough starter and 50g of bread flour. Stir the ingredients together using a dough whisk to form the levain then cover the jug with a lid or plastic wrap. Keep the levain at room temperature overnight, up to 8 hours, to allow the starter to become active and double in volume.

• Begin the dough - Once the levain has doubled in size it is time to prepare the dough. Into a mixing bowl add the yogurt, coconut milk, 1 egg, melted butter and levain. Use a dough whisk to evenly combine the ingredients until smooth, then gradually pour the bread flour and spelt flour into the mixing bowl. Continue to mix the ingredients with the dough whisk to form a uniform dough, ensure that the flour is completely incorporated. Cover the mixing bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

• Toast coconut filling -While the dough rests, cook the coconut filling. Place a saucepan on medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, stir the brown sugar into the saucepan and cook for 2 minutes until liquid. Then carefully pour the coconut milk into the saucepan to form a caramel, the sugar will be extremely hot so make sure that no caramel splatters onto the skin. As the coconut milk warms through the sugar, the caramel will become thick and smooth. Reduce the heat of the saucepan to low and add the unsweetened shredded coconut. Cook the coconut in the caramel for 5 minutes until golden and lightly toasted, stir frequently to ensure even cooking. After 5 minutes remove the coconut filling from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool at room temperature.

Unsweetened shredded coconut - One of the main ingredient of pan de coco bread

• Bulk ferment the dough - In a jug dissolve the salt with 10ml of water, stir to combine then pour the salt solution into the pan de coco dough. Return the kitchen towel over the mixing bowl to cover and allow the dough to bulk ferment for 90 minutes.

• Fold the dough - After 90 minutes fold the dough, using wet hands stretch the top of the dough and bring towards the centre to create a fold. Then turn the mixing bowl and repeat, stretching the top of the dough into the centre, continue until all four sides of the dough have been folded. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow it to continue to ferment for a further 90 minutes.

• Fill the pan de coco - After 3 hours of bulk fermentation the dough will be light and aerated, allow to ferment for longer if it has not yet reached this stage. Dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough, use your hands to stretch the dough out until flat and an even thickness. Use a spatula to spread the coconut filling across the surface of the dough.

After 3 hours, the sourdough is light and aerated, so you can divide them to two equal parts

stretch the dough out until flat and an even thickness

Spread the coconut filling across the surface of the dough

• Shape the pan de coco - Seal the dough by stretching the top of the dough into the centre then continue to fold all corners of the dough and encase the filling. Tuck the edges of the dough and shape using your hands into a round ball. Flip the dough and continue to tuck the surface of the dough.

Tuck the edges of the dough

shape into a round ball

• Place the pan de coco into the sourdough proofing basket -Lightly dust a banneton proofing basket with rice flour to stop the dough sticking to the basket. Use a dough scraper to pull the dough taut and transfer into the prepared sourdough proofing basket. Cover the banneton basket with a kitchen towel and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours to allow the dough to complete its final ferment and take the shape of the banneton basket.

ready to move the sourdough into banneton

• Bake the pan de coco -Preheat an oven to 450C and place a dutch oven inside, allow 30 minutes to reach temperature. Once preheated, carefully remove the dutch oven and lay the banana leaf inside the base of the pan. Then remove the pan de coco dough inside the sourdough proofing basket from the refrigerator and gently lift into the dutch oven. Using a pastry brush spread the remaining beaten egg over the surface of the loaf then scatter over the shredded coconut. Use a bread lame to score the surface of the bread then place the dutch oven into the preheated oven. Bake the pan de coco covered for 20 minutes then remove the lid and cook for a further 40 minutes.

spread the remaining beaten egg over the surface of the loaf then scatter over the shredded coconut

• Serve the pan de coco -Once the bread is crisp and a deep golden brown remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Then transfer the bread to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely. The banneton will have created a beautiful design on the surface of the bread, ready to be sliced and shared.

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