Coconut Pandan Bread

Coconut and Pandan are one of my favorite baked good flavors. Coconut Pandan sponge cake is one of my top 3 favorite cakes. If you haven't had Pandan the aroma is sweet and floral like vanilla but it doesn't taste like vanilla at all. Pandan is used in many Southeast Asian desserts like you see vanilla used in the US. I use a Pandan extract for this recipe, you can find Pandan leaves in some Asian markets, I have some that I keep in the freezer. You can make your own extract with it. 

This bread is soft and fragrant. The flavors aren't strong just a hint of Pandan and coconut if you want a stronger flavor add more extract. The bread bakes up pretty and fluffy! I dusted these with some cornstarch, which is mainly for the way it looks. You don't have to use any cornstarch at all.

You can also bake these in small loaves, just adjust your baking time and tent the top of the bread with foil to prevent burning. This bread is good just to snack on, plain, with butter, or sweetened condensed milk.  

One of my favorite ways to eat this bread is with pork belly that has been glazed with a soy glaze that is infused with ginger, star anise, and other yummy flavors.

I use my Instant Pot to proof this dough and my KitchenAid to mix and knead the dough.

More Pandan recipes HERE.

Coconut Pandan Bread

8 gr Instant Yeast, 2-1/2 teaspoons

2 tablespoons warm water to test yeast

400 grams bread flour, 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons

75 gr sugar, 1/3 cup

165 ml canned coconut milk, 3/4 cup 

1 large egg

3 tablespoons butter (margarine or coconut butter for dairy free)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pandan extract

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)

Cornstarch 

1. Stir the yeast into the water with a pinch of sugar, let it sit about five minutes while you gather your other ingredients. If it gets spongy looking it's good to go, if it doesn't do anything you may need new yeast. You can skip this step if you know your yeast is fresh, I like to test mine just in case.
2. Place 3 cups of bread flour and the remaining ingredients into the bowl of your mixer, mix with the dough hook until everything comes together.
3. Add flour as you go until the dough is no longer sticky. The dough should come together and not stick to the sides of the bowl. Depending on your flour and the humidity you or may not use all of the flour.
4. Knead with the mixer for 5-7 minutes or 10 minutes by hand.
5. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then knead again until the dough is elastic and bounces back immediately when pressed.
6. Lightly oil the Instant Pot liner, place dough in there and cover. Set the Instant Pot to the YOGURT setting on LOW. Or set your dough back into the mixing bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
7. Divide the dough into equal portions and shape each into a round ball by folding it in on itself. Place rolls onto a lightly greased baking sheet a couple inches apart from each other.
8. Place a clean towel over the dough and let it rise until doubled.
9. Heat oven to 320 degrees F. 
10. Sprinkle tops of rolls with cornstarch if desired.
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Tent the tops with foil if they are getting too browned.

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