Coconut Cloud Bread

Name: Coconut Cloud Bread
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 300g bread flour; 4g instant yeast; 40g sugar; 3g salt; 160ml milk; 1 large egg; 30g unsalted butter; 50g tangzhong (flour paste); 80g shredded coconut; 15g milk powder

A tender, pillowy bread with a sweet coconut crown. This Chinese-style loaf uses a tangzhong starter for that signature soft texture that stays fresh for days.

55 min

Medium

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Story

This nostalgic loaf brings back memories of classic Asian bakeries. The secret is the tangzhong—a cooked flour paste that traps moisture inside the dough, resulting in an incredibly soft crumb that stays fresh for days.

Ingredients

bread flour 300g

instant yeast 4g

sugar 40g

salt 3g

milk 160ml

large egg 1

unsalted butter 30g

tangzhong (flour paste) 50g

shredded coconut 80g

milk powder 15g

Instructions

Prepare the starter

Whisk together 25g of bread flour with 125ml of water or milk in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the mixture thickens into a smooth paste. Remove from heat and let cool completely before using.

Mix and knead the dough

Add the cooled tangzhong to a large mixing bowl or bread machine. Pour in the remaining flour, yeast, sugar, salt, milk, egg, and milk powder. Mix and knead for about 10 minutes until everything comes together smoothly. Drop in the butter and continue kneading for another 10 minutes until the dough feels elastic and slightly sticky to the touch.

First rise

Shape the dough into a neat ball and transfer to a lightly greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot. Let it rise until the dough roughly doubles in size, which takes around an hour.

Shape and add topping

Gently press down on the risen dough to release air bubbles. Turn out onto a floured surface and divide evenly into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and arrange in a greased 9-inch cake pan. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then shower generously with shredded coconut.

Final rise and bake

Cover the pan and let the dough rise one more time until it looks puffy and filled out, about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and fragrant. Pull from the oven and let rest a few minutes before serving warm.