Pan de Coco

I found this recipe at work the other day, and I wanted to try it out. It is supposed to be a traditional Honduran bread recipe. I love anything involving coconut, so, here goes:

1/2 c Fresh Grated Coconut (mine was pretty crazy (I think it might have been a bit old, since it slipped right out of the outer casing….creepy))
2 T Sugar
1 Packet of Yeast (1/4 oz)
1/2 c Warm Water
3 1/2 c Flour
1 t Salt
1 c Coconut Milk
3 T Melted Butter/Shortening/Lard/I was a rebel and used the fatty part of Coco-Loco (the stuff you use in Piña Coladas)

Start by mixing the first 4 ingredients together, and letting them mingle for about 15 minutes. You just want to get the yeast going, so once it starts to foam you are good. Next, you add whisk together your salt and your flour. Add all of your liquid ingredients to that and mix together until a dough forms. Use your hands for this and get a little messy, you big wimp. Turn the dough out on your counter and knead it for about 8 minutes while listening to some Otis Redding, to help knead the love into it. This part is key. Make sure your cat is staring at you like this while you do it.

Once your dough is nice and elastic, dust it with flour and throw it in a bowl. Cover it up with a dish towel and forget about it for an hour and a half. Now is a good time to catch up on some television or fart around on the interweb while you drink a glass or two of wine.

In that time it should double, and now it is time to shape things up.

You can make simple balls or be a rebel like me, and make them into cool shapes like pretzels. Put the buns on a sheetpan with aluminium and pan spray. I sprayed the buns too so that when I covered them with plastic wrap, they wouldn’t stick. Let that rest for about 30 more minutes, then preheat your oven to 350 degrees and let them rest for 15 more minutes.

Once your dough has doubled in size again, you can put the buns in the oven. Using your Great Grandma’s awesome old timer, bake them for 20-25 minutes. Once you are almost to golden brown delicious-land, you should take them out of the oven and brush them with some honey, or in my case, some of the Coco loco to give them a nice glazed effect. Crank up the oven to 400 degrees and bake them for 5 or so more minutes. Take them out and let them cool, otherwise you won’t be able to taste for a week. They smell great, and taste good with coffee or on your way out the door in the morning. You can thank me later.