Twist Again...with the BBBs

It's the 16th of the month, the traditional posting day for the Bread Baking Babes. This month our Kitchen of the Month is Aparna's My Diverse Kitchen. She has asked us to make twisted coconut buns. We've baked twisted breads before, but these are special. Sweetie was quite taken with them, scarfing down two, one right after the other, as soon as they were cool enough to eat.

The filling brings the coconut flavor forward. I added some freeze-dried raspberry powder that I bought in London in May...first time I've used it...but the coconut flavor outpaced the raspberry flavor quite a bit. It was still a delicious bun.

This dough is delicious and easy to work with. I do have to say that my life lately has not been simple, so the dough sat in the fridge a couple of days before I could bake with it and that may have added some nice flavor. It was easy to work with and I could make strudel with it...very easy to stretch very thin. As a matter of fact, I found it easier to stretch it than roll it with a pin. It is a bit sticky, but that helps keep it stretched out on the work surface. I did make a few changes, including using soy creamer instead of coconut or regular milk, dried potato flakes instead of dried milk, non-dairy margarine instead of butter since I can't do dairy. Not sure if that made it a better dough or not, but it really is a great dough.

I divided my  buns into 8 pieces because the buns made when dividing the dough into six seemed to me to be too large. These were a nice size; about the same as you would find in most bakeries for sweet yeast buns. The weight of each piece of dough was right around 89 grams.

I found that a pizza cutter did a great job of cutting the long, thin cuts needed to make this shaping work. The knots are pretty with the filling showing here and there, the "inside-out" part. I used a soy milk wash but added some sparkling (sanding) sugar to make them even prettier.

Do try these lovely sweet buns, then send an email with a photo and a short description of your bake to Aparna so that she can send you a Buddy badge. It's always a delight to have Bread Baking Babes Buddies! She will do a round-up at the end of the month. Check our her post for all the deets.

Also, be sure to check out the other Babes and see what marvelous things they have done with twisted coconut buns!

INSIDE OUT COCONUT BUNS

Ingredients :

For the Dough :

175 ml coconut milk (I used soy creamer) , 3/4 cup

30 gm sugar, 3 tablespoons

3 gm active dry or instant yeast, 1 teaspoon

360 gm bread flour, 3 cups measured with spoon and sweep method (see note 1)

dried potato flakes, 2 tablespoon

2 gm salt, 1/2 teaspoon

50 gm unsalted butter, melted (I used non-dairy margarine)

1 large egg

For the Coconut Filling :

50 gm unsweetened shredded/ desiccated coconut, 1/2 cup

45 gm sugar, 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon powdered freeze-dried raspberries

45 gm unsalted butter, soft at room temperature 3 tablespoons, melted (I used non-dairy margarine)

1 egg yolk, from a large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

For Brushing :

Egg Wash or milk (I used soy creamer)

Method:

To Make the Dough :

Combine the milk, a little sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes till foamy.

Put this and all other ingredients for the dough in a large bowl or bowl of your dough kneading machine. Knead until you have a soft, smooth and elastic dough. Adjust liquid and flour, in small increments, as required to each this consistency. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a surface and knead a few times. Ideally, your dough should pass the “window pane” test.

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a well-oiled bowl.  Cover the bowl with a damp towel (or a silicone lid) and let it rise for about 1 hour, until the dough doubles in size.

To Make the Filling :

Using a spoon, mix together in a bowl all the ingredients for the filling, till combined.

Cover and refrigerate the filling for about 20 to 30 minutes to chill. The filling should still be of a spreading consistency when you take it out. Do not let it harden.

To Shape the Buns :

Gently knead the risen dough to degas it. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Work with one portion at a time keeping the others covered. Shape the dough into an oval. Cover 5 pieces of dough with a towel while you shape the first bun.

Take the chilled filling out of the refrigerator and divide it into 6 pieces as well. Each portion should be equal to about 1 ½ tablespoons of filling worth. The directions below are to shape twisted round buns.

Roll out one piece of dough until you get a rectangle of about 10 x 4 inches long. You don’t need to flour your work surface. Take one portion of the filling and spread it over half of the rectangle, along its length. Fold the other side over the filling and press lightly to seal the edges. You should now have a long and thin rectangle.

Using a sharp knife, make 2 or 3 cuts along the length inside the rectangle, leaving about 1/4 to 1/2 inch at the short edges intact. Holding the short edges with your hands, pull very gently to stretch the dough, then twist the dough a few times. Fold into a knot. Tuck both ends under. The filling should show up in layers on the shaped dough. 

Place the shaped buns on a lightly greased or parchment lined tray. Transfer the knotted dough onto the lined baking sheet. Cover them loosely and allow them to rise till almost in size.

Cover the knotted buns with plastic wrap and let the buns rise for an hour, until they double in size. When ready. Brush the tops with egg wash or milk.

Bake them in a pre-heated oven at 180C (350F) for about 25 minutes till they’re done and a beautiful golden brown in color. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. These buns are best consumed while they’re still a little warm.

They will keep for 2 or 3 days, but it is best to refrigerate them if you live in warmer climates. Warm them up before eating.