Moist and Succulent Chinese Coconut Bread Loaf

Stuff your face and expand your waistline with this ultra-soft and pillowy Chinese coconut bread loaf that’s packed full of coconut goodness!

Introduction

I was at an Asian grocery store recently and happened upon a Coconut milk bread loaf in the bakery section while just browsing for some baked goods. I didn’t end up buying the coconut bread loaf as it didn’t look fresh and the label said that it was going to expire in about 2 days 🤣

But it did inspire me to create my own Chinese coconut bread loaf recipe later that week though.

Coconut milk bread loaves have long been a staple at Chinese bakeries, along with taro, red bean, and green tea bread loaves. A coconut milk bread loaf is known for its signature softness as well as its delightfully tasty coconut filling.

In my opinion, to really nail down the Coconut milk bread loaf, one needs to produce not only a very soft and airy milk bread loaf but also a delectable coconut filling to balance out the bread texture. That’s why when creating this Chinese coconut bread loaf recipe, I made sure to incorporate both of these elements into my Chinese coconut bread recipe.

What Is Chinese Coconut Bread Loaf?

Chinese coconut bread loaf (椰蓉 面包) or Asian coconut bread loaf is an Asian spin on the popular classic coconut bread loaf that you typically find at western bakeries.

But unlike Western-style bread, Asian-style bread tends to be softer and pillowy vs the more dense texture of its western counterpart. In addition, Asian-style bread tends to be a bit sweeter, catering to the tastebuds of the local population in the region.

This Chinese coconut loaf recipe consists of a soft milk bread loaf that is filled with a creamy coconut filling. The bread is extra soft due to adding in a tangzhong (water roux) and the bread itself is slightly sweet compared to traditional bread loafs.

What Does Coconut Bread Taste Like?

Chinese coconut bread tastes like you are sinking your teeth inside a super soft and pillowly milk bread loaf with a super moist, sweet and buttery coconut filling. The outer crust is still slightly crispy especially when it has been taken straight out of the oven and immediately consumed, while the filling is packed full of coconut flavour. If you love coconut bread then this is the perfect recipe for you. I also have some other coconut bun recipes available on my site such as Chinese coconut cream buns and Chinese cocktail buns that you might want to check out.

Is Chinese Coconut Bread Healthy?

Absolutely not!

I mean come on now, all of that butter and sugar can’t be good for you, even though it tastes like heaven, plus all of the calories from the carbs too.

If you’re trying to lose weight then this should be one of the last things that you try to make, but I bet most of my readers already know that and don’t care about this, you included.

Ingredients

Tangzhong:

• 15g of bread flour
• 75ml of water

Dough:

• Bread flour 220g
• White granulated sugar 35g
• Table salt ¼ tsp
• Instant yeast 5g
• Milk powder 6g
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 2% Milk 60ml
• Unsalted butter 25g (room temperature)

Coconut filling:

• Unsalted butter: 60g (room temperature)
• White granulated sugar 50g
• Pastry flour 30g
• Table salt ¼ tsp
• Large Egg ½ (room temperature)
• Desiccated coconut 55g
• Milk powder 15g
• Custard powder 15g

Egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp of milk

Ingredient Notes

Desiccated coconut: Make sure that you get desiccated coconut and not shredded coconut. The desiccated coconut is much finer and tends to absorb liquids well, leading to a non-runny filling.

How to Make Chinese Coconut Bread Loaf

This Asian coconut bread recipe is very easy to make and is great for beginners just getting their feet wet with baking. The recipe is comprised of four parts: creating the tangzhong (water roux), making the dough, making the coconut filling, and finally combining everything together.

Here’s how to make my coconut loaf bread recipe:

Directions

Making the Tangzhong

We’re going to start off by making our Tangzhong, a water roux. This will make our bread nice and fluffy when baking.

In a small saucepan, add your bread flour and water. Heat the pan on low heat while constantly stirring it until the mixture turns into a thick gelatinous paste.

Then remove the pan from the stove and transfer it to a small bowl or dish. Cover it with plastic wrap and then store in the fridge and let it cool down for at least 30 minutes before using.

You can also make your Tangzhong the night before as well.

Making the Dough

After our tangzhong has cooled down, we’re going to make our dough.

In a large mixing bowl, add in your bread flour, white granulated sugar, table salt, instant yeast, milk powder, 1 egg, and the tangzhong.

Pop the mixing bowl into a stand mixer and give it a quick few whisks.

Then add in your room temperature milk and mix everything together for 3-4 minutes.

Then add in your room temperature butter and continue kneading the dough for an additional 11-12 minutes.

Next transfer the dough over to a greased large bowl.

Then shape the dough into a round ball. if you find the dough difficult to handle then you can apply either some oil or water to your hands.

Once done shaping the dough, place it back into the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a towel and let it proof in a warm place until double in size, approximately 1 hour.

Making the Coconut Filling

Now in another bowl, add in your room temperature butter, white granulated sugar, and table salt.

Mix everything well together then add in your egg and continue mixing it until the egg has been incorporated into the mixture.

Then in another bowl, add your pastry flour, milk powder, and custard powder and put everything through a strainer before adding it to your wet ingredients.

Continue mixing everything together until you no longer see any white flour spots.

Finally add in your desiccated coconut and mix everything well together and then set the bowl aside.

Dough Continued

Once your dough has finished proofing, de-gase the dough and transfer it to a floured countertop.

Now shape the dough into a round ball and cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20 minutes to relax the dough.

Then roll out the dough into a large rectangle, approximately 11 x 14 inches.

Now add the coconut filling to the dough and spread it out evenly onto the dough.

Finally, roll the dough from the wide end over to the other end to form a long roll.

Make sure to pinch the edges and ends of the dough to seal it.

Now make a cut in the middle of the dough, splitting it in half with a dough cutter.

Now fold one piece of the dough over the other piece and then wrap the other piece on top and tuck the ends inside and make a braided pattern.

Repeat this for the other end of the two pieces of dough.

Next, place the dough onto a bread loaf pan lined with parchment paper and cover the bread loaf pan with plastic wrap or a towel.

I’m using a 9×5 inch pan here but you can use any bread loaf pan just as long as it fits.

Now place the dough in a warm environment and let it proof for about 35-40 minutes.

While the dough is proofing, pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C).

Once the dough has finished proofing, apply an egg wash onto the dough by whisking together 1 egg and a splash of milk.

Tip: I recommend going easy applying the eggwash onto the bread loaf, otherwise when you bake it, it’ll look a lot darker than you would like it to. Doesn’t affect the taste though.

Now bake the bread loaf at 350°F (180°C) in the middle rack of the oven for about 15 minutes and then cover the top of the bread loaf with some aluminum foil to prevent it from further browning at the top and continue baking the bread loaf for another 15-20 minutes or until the bread loaf has been fully baked on the inside.

You can check for doneness by taking a toothpick, running it through the bread loaf, and seeing if it comes out clean. If it does, then the inside has been fully baked.

Once the coconut bread loaf has been baked, leave it inside of the bread loaf pan for about 5-10 minutes and then transfer it to a cooling rack and let it cool down before consuming.

Storage Tips

The bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.S)

Can I Use Dry Active Yeast Instead of Instant Yeast?

Yes, absolutely! If you’re using dry active yeast make sure that you proof the yeast in a warm liquid such as water or milk in our case along with some sugar (1 tsp). You should see the yeast foam up at the top and produce a very yeast like smell. If you see this, that means your yeast is good to use.

How Long Can I Store the Bread For?

You can store the bread loaf in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can pop the bread loaf either in the microwave or oven (325°F-350F°) to reheat it.

How Come My Dough Is Not Rising?

There could be a number of reasons such as the following:

• Your yeast is dead. Check if your yeast is still alive by adding 1 tsp of yeast, along with 1 tsp of sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water, give it a good mix, then let it sit for 10-15 minutes. If it starts to foam at the top with a very yeasty smell then your yeast is still alive.
• Your environment is too cold. Yeast rises best in a warm environment
• You mixed in hot water with the yeast and killed it.
• You didn’t knead the dough sufficiently enough. Use the window-pane test to check if your dough has been kneaded properly.

I Don’t Own a Stand Mixer, Can I Hand-Knead the Dough?

Yes, you can, however, do realize that the dough is sticky and will be more difficult to knead by hand, that is why it is strongly recommended that you use a stand mixer to make life easier for you. Furthermore, you may need to spend a little more time kneading it compared to using a stand mixer, however, it is definitely possible to hand knead it.

When Is the Best Time to Eat the Bread?

The best time to consume the bread loaf is right after the bread loaf has been baked and has had a little time to cool down (approximately 30 minutes after baking).

Other Recipes You’ll Love

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• Puff Pastry Butter Bread Loaf
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• Cheese Bread Loaf
• Shokupan Raisin Bread Loaf
• Chinese Coconut Cream Buns