Choco Pan de Coco

Recipe from Bryan Ford

Adapted by Tejal Rao

Updated Aug. 10, 2020

Choco Pan de Coco
Heami Lee for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.
Total Time
2 hours, plus fermentation
Rating
4(726)
Comments
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Bryan Ford grew up in New Orleans, eating delicious, dense little pan de coco buns from the Honduran bodegas around town. But as a professional baker, he revisited the bread, using a sourdough starter to add dimension and texture, and even adding cocoa and chocolate chips to sweeten it up. In his cookbook, “New World Sourdough” (Quarry Books, 2020), he calls this version choco pan de coco. The key, according to Mr. Ford, is to bake with love and to celebrate the bread you make — not to compare your own bread to the one in the picture. —Tejal Rao

Featured in: These Rolls Will Change the Way You See Sourdough

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Ingredients

Yield:1 (8- or 9-inch) loaf

    For the Levain

    • 2ounces/60 grams mature sourdough starter
    • ¾cup plus 2 tablespoons/120 grams bread flour
    • ½cup/110 milliliters warm water

    For the Final Dough

    • ¾cup plus 2 tablespoons/200 milliliters canned coconut milk
    • 7ounces/200 grams levain (about 1 generous cup)
    • 1¾cups/225 grams all-purpose flour
    • 1⅔cups/225 grams bread flour
    • 1⅔cups/125 grams unsweetened shredded coconut
    • Scant ⅓ cup/50 grams bittersweet chocolate chips
    • ¼cup/25 grams Dutch process cocoa powder
    • 2tablespoons/30 grams softened unsalted butter or coconut oil, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing the pan
    • 2tablespoons/30 grams light brown sugar
    • 2teaspoons/10 grams kosher salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Build the levain: In a large bowl, mix the mature sourdough starter, flour and warm water until incorporated. Cover, and leave in a warm place for 3 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size. Use immediately, by going to Step 2, or refrigerate to use the next day.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the final dough: Combine the coconut milk and with a scant ½ cup/100 milliliters water, and warm gently in a pan over low heat or in the microwave until steaming. Transfer to a large bowl, and add 7 ounces/200 grams of levain, along with all the remaining dough ingredients. Using your hands, squeeze everything together. Turn out onto a clean work surface, and knead, using the palm of your hand to push the dough forward and your fingers to pull it back. Repeat until the dough is mostly smooth. Cover, and let ferment for 4 hours, then refrigerate for 12 hours.

  3. Step 3

    Coat a loaf tin with 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter, and set aside. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, divide into 6 pieces, and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Flatten the dough, fold the corners to the center and press down, then flip the dough to reveal a smooth surface, and tighten the dough into a ball by tucking the edges in with your palms.

  4. Step 4

    Repeat with the remaining pieces, then place the pieces inside the tin, arranging in 2 rows of 3. Cover, and proof until dough rises by about a third, for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature.

  5. Step 5

    To bake the bread, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 35 minutes, or until lightly brown and shiny on top, turning the pan once in the middle of cooking. Remove from the oven, let the bread rest in the hot pan for 20 minutes, then remove from the pan, and let cool for another 20 minutes.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
726 user ratings
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Comments

kjd

A levain is what you use to leaven the bread instead of using straight sourdough (or, baker's yeast) which can be sour, tangy, spent, and/or loose. Take a bit from your 'mother sourdough' and add to it a small amount of the same types of flours you plan to use in your bread recipe plus an equal amount of water, more or less. Let that stand for 6 - 12 hours, depending on how warm your resting area is, then use most of it to leaven the bread dough.

Jason

To make this without sourdough starter: Make Levain by using 30 grams each flour and water for starter and 1/4tsp yeast (rest of levain is same) For dough add 1 to 2 tsp yeast when you make dough. Cut room temp rising times in half (as a guide) Check temp in water/coconut milk mix and don’t heat above 110. Use your senses to see when it’s risen enough. Finished bread should be 190 to 200. The post bake oven sit might be for finish cooking. Trying now.

cookbookchick

I am puzzled by the instruction to mix the levain/starter with liquid that is “steaming.” The temperature at which steam forms will kill the organisms (yeast, etc.) in the levain. The liquid should be no warmer than between 110 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rachel

These rolls are excellent for breakfast with coffee! I misjudged the recipe timeline and skipped the first rise at room temperature. I put the dough straight into the refrigerator overnight, then allowed it to come to room temperature before dividing. No harm done -- they still rose well in the pan and the oven, and they have great texture. A heads up: These are dense and filling! For me, they're definitely a main dish, not a side. I might divide the dough into eight or ten pieces next time.

Mike

So, my question is this: what do I do if I have no starter, and won’t be able to make one in the near future? Is there any alternative?

Krista A

I have made this twice now. Followed instructions as written. Fantastic results both times. Try slathering it with coconut butter (manna). Delicious!

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Credits

Adapted from “New World Sourdough” by Bryan Ford (Quarry Books, 2020)

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