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Panipopo
Samoan sweet bread rolls baked in a caramel coconut sauce
Panipopo (from 'pani', bun, and 'popo', coconut) are soft, sweet bread rolls baked sitting in a pool of coconut milk and sugar, which bubbles into a sticky, caramel-coloured sauce around them. Samoan families bake them for Sunday lunch, fundraisers and church gatherings, and they've spread to Samoan communities in Auckland and Hawaii. Served warm with the sauce spooned over, they're somewhere between a cinnamon roll and a pudding. Chef's tip: pour the coconut sauce around the rolls just before baking, not hours ahead, or the bottoms go soggy instead of sticky.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
For the coconut sauce
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk 1 cup warm milk, ¼ oz dried yeast and a pinch of 1 ¾ oz sugar and leave for 10 minutes until foamy.
10 minStep 2: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, the rest of the sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add the yeast mixture, 1 egg and 1 ¾ oz butter and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic and it springs back when poked. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.
10 minStep 3: Knock back and divide into 12 balls. Arrange them in a buttered 33 × 23 cm baking dish, slightly apart. Cover and prove for 30–40 minutes until puffy and touching.
5 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Warm 1 ¾ cups coconut milk with 4 oz sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
Step 5: Pour the sauce around and over the rolls. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the buns are deep golden and the sauce is bubbling and thickened at the edges. Common mistake: underbaking; the sauce needs time to reduce or it stays thin and milky.
30 minStep 6: Cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm with the sauce spooned over.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does panipopo take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of warm milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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