After moving out of the city, one of the things I’ve missed most is the access to Asian bakeries. I constantly crave tasty baked goods such as Hot Dog Buns, Hong Kong Egg Tarts,Pineapple Buns, Egg Cakes, and of course, coconut buns. Coconut buns, or cocktail buns, are a light yet indulgent bread that features a very fluffy texture and a buttery filling. There are many approaches to making coconut buns. Some bakeries use a dryer filling with plenty of shredded coconut. Some are more generous with the butter, which makes the buns more decadent. I prefer the more buttery filling, myself.
New Cookbook – Mooncakes and Milk Bread
I’ve tried out a few coconut bun recipes but most of them are not as good as I expected. Until I saw the coconut bun recipe from the cookbook Mooncakes and Milk Bread by Kristina Cho. It is a book focused on baked goods from Chinese bakeries. Inside you’ll find sweet and savory baked buns, steamed buns, Chinese breads, unique cookies, whimsical cakes, juicy dumplings, and more. Her coconut bun recipe caught my eye immediately. It uses plenty of butter, dry milk powder, and a bit of flour to create a thick buttery coconut filling, just as I expected. I was so happy with the result of these buns and could not wait to share them with you. I also highly recommend Kristina’s cookbook if you’re interested in Asian baking recipes. I have quite a few recipes from the book that are on my to-cook list: taro leaf buns, Miso Corn Buns, Hot Dog Flower Buns, and Matcha and Jasmine Swiss Rolls.
How to make coconut buns
Prepare the dough
I put together this super simple milk bread dough recipe using a standard mixer. It is a very wet dough, so a mixer is highly recommended. If you decide to hand knead the dough, you might need to add more flour to make it workable.
Make the coconut bun filling
While the dough is resting, you can prepare the filling. Simply mix up the ingredients and you will get a dry mass. I really like this filling because it usually does not require chilling and it’s easy to work with. NOTE: if your room temperature is very low, the butter will solidify and make the filling crumbly. In winter, I prefer to put the filling bowl over my radiator to keep the filling warm. So it will be easy to shape later.
Coconut bun topping
To mimic the Asian bakery style, this recipe uses both an egg wash and a topping to create the lines (both from Mooncakes and Milk Bread). For the topping, you can place the paste in a ziplock bag and cut off a corner and use the ziplock as a piping bag. However, do feel free to skip it if you like. It is more for decorative effect and does not affect the taste of the buns much.
Assemble the coconut buns
Once your dough has doubled in size, you can start assembling the coconut buns.
Baking sheet vs casserole dish
I’ve tried baking the buns on a regular baking sheet and in a casserole dish. If using a baking sheet, you will get oval buns that are mostly separated with a small part attached together. If using a casserole dish, the buns will be squeezed together. If you aren’t looking for perfect buns, the casserole dish method is quite forgiving and easier to work with.
Afterthoughts
When I was testing the coconut bun recipe, there was one time I accidentally made a dozen buns with twice the amount of filling. Because I halved the dough but forgot to halve the filling. The result was SO GOOD! It felt like a decadent dessert and I loved how buttery and sweet the filling was. If you’re looking for a more balanced result, follow this recipe as it is. It makes a nice fluffy bread that I would eat for breakfast. If you’re looking for a dessert, try double the filling for a richer taste 🙂 I hope you enjoy these coconut buns as much as I do! The coconut bun filling and topping recipes are from Mooncakes and Milk Bread by Kristina Cho, described in my own words according to my cooking experience.
