Panipopo (Pani Popo): Samoan Coconut Buns Baked in Coconut Sauce

A family snack whose name simply means "bread" and "coconut"

In Samoan, pani is bread and popo is coconut. The name is simply "coconut bread." Sweet yeast dough is rolled into balls, arranged in a pan, and baked under a sauce of sugar dissolved in coconut milk. That is all there is to it, but the sauce soaks into the base of the bread and bakes into a thin skin on top, so soft dough and a chewy layer of coconut become one.

Monica Galetti, who comes from Samoa and works as a chef in Britain, calls panipopo her favorite among Samoan sweet breads. Traditionally it is baked in a big tray, and she says it is just right for a big family. At home in Samoa, the bread the aunties baked was always close at hand, so she only began making it herself after moving to Britain. Someone bakes almost every day. Panipopo is a food that shows how close family and relatives are.

Coconut is the foundation of Samoan cooking. The same rich coconut milk goes into dishes such as palusami (in Japanese), where coconut milk is wrapped in taro leaves and baked, and into sweet snacks. Panipopo can be called a typically Polynesian snack, born of the meeting between the island's traditional ingredients and wheat bread that came from outside. It goes well with breakfast, and a way of enjoying it with Samoan cocoa, "koko Samoa," is also described.

What to know when making it at home

Most of the ingredients can be found in a supermarket. What matters most for flavor is the richness of the coconut milk. Canned coconut milk often has a white layer of solid fat floating on top when opened, so empty it into a bowl and stir well before measuring. If you want a richer result, replacing some of the coconut milk with coconut cream makes the baked sauce thicker.

The dough recipe is based on one developed by the American flour company King Arthur Baking. The original's all-purpose flour can be replaced with bread flour for a better rise and a lighter, fluffier bake. The milk powder in the dough can be replaced with skim milk powder. For the yeast, instant dry yeast, which needs no pre-proofing, is convenient.

Even if it is your first time baking bread, hand kneading is quite enough. But kneading by hand takes longer than by machine, and the proofing runs somewhat longer too. The way to avoid failure is to go by the smoothness and rise of the dough rather than by the clock.

Ingredients (makes 12)

The amounts follow the King Arthur Baking recipe "Pani Popo Samoan Coconut Buns." It makes 12 in a 23 × 33 cm pan, or a slightly larger 9 in a 23 cm square pan.

How to make panipopo

Hands-on time is about 25 minutes and baking is 18 to 25 minutes, but with the two proofings the whole takes about 3 hours 10 minutes. Prepare the sauce during the wait for proofing.

Two bakes, depending on how the sauce goes in

The recipe in this article bakes the buns with the sauce poured over the risen dough. A coconut skin forms on the surface, and the result is moist, wrapped in sauce above and below. Monica Galetti's recipe, by contrast, pours half the sauce into the pan first, scatters on toasted coconut, and bakes the dough on top. The surface is brushed with butter and sprinkled with unrefined sugar to give the buns a bread-like golden color. After baking, the rest of the sauce is poured over and left 30 minutes to soak in.

The first is eaten warm when the sauce still flows; in the second, time lets the sweetness of the coconut seep into the bread. Both are methods handed down in households, and neither is better. One cook's touch is to add a pinch of salt to the sauce to tighten the sweetness.

How to eat it, and the Polynesian table

It suits being brought to the table in the pan, with everyone helping themselves by hand. It works for breakfast or a snack, and goes well with sweet tea or Samoan cocoa, "koko Samoa." Elsewhere, serve it with hot cocoa made by dissolving pure cocoa in milk, and you can enjoy the combination of coconut's sweet aroma and the bittersweetness of cacao.

For another Polynesian dish, try Tonga's lu pulu, corned beef wrapped in taro leaves and baked, or Fiji's kokoda (in Japanese), white fish cured in lime and coconut milk. In every one, rich coconut milk is at the center of the flavor, and the differences in how each island uses it become visible.

Ways to vary it

For a cinnamon-roll style spiral, roll the dough after the first proof into a rectangle about 30 × 40 cm, roll up from the near edge and cut into 12. Arrange them cut side up in the pan, and bake with the same steps. Scatter on toasted fine coconut as you roll for added toastiness.

If you shape the dough into rounds the night before, arrange them in the pan, cover with plastic wrap and let them proof slowly in the refrigerator, in the morning you only need to bring them to room temperature, pour on the sauce and bake. This suits a weekend morning when you want it fresh from the oven. After taking the pan from the refrigerator, leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the dough swells a size, before baking.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use coconut cream instead of coconut milk?

Yes. Coconut cream is high in fat, so using it for the whole amount makes the sauce very rich and heavy. Try replacing only half first, and use coconut milk for the rest.

Can I eat it the next day?

Ideally eat it all on the day it is baked. If there is some left, cool it, wrap it in plastic, refrigerate and eat by the next day. Warming it briefly in the microwave before eating brings the sauce back to softness.

What if the dough does not rise?

If the warm water is too hot (over 50°C) the yeast is weakened, and if it is too cold, proofing does not progress. Aim for 35–40°C. When the room is cold, use the oven's proofing function, or set the bowl in a larger container filled with warm water to help it rise.

Can I make it without eggs?

There are also egg-free formulas, such as the recipe at Tara's Multicultural Table. If you remove the eggs from this recipe, moisture is short, so add warm water a little at a time and adjust so the dough comes together softly. The texture is somewhat lighter and plainer.

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