Pain Coco, Faraoa Haʻari (Tahitian Coconut Bread)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9 by 5 inch loaf pan
• •Large mixing bowl or stand mixer with dough hook
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake the yeast

   Stir the warm coconut milk, warm water, yeast, and one spoonful of the sugar together in a large bowl. Let it sit 5 to 10 minutes, until the top looks creamy and alive. If nothing happens, no blame the dough. Your yeast is tired, and tired yeast cannot lift a loaf.

2. 2

   Mix the dough

   Add the flour, grated coconut, remaining sugar, salt, melted coconut oil or butter, and egg. Mix until a soft, shaggy dough forms. It should feel a little tacky from the coconut milk, not dry and stiff. If it is sticking like paste, add flour one tablespoon at a time.

3. 3

   Knead until supple

   Knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes, or with a dough hook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dough smooths out and springs back when pressed. The grated coconut will keep the surface from looking perfectly polished, and that's fine. You want soft and elastic, not tight.

   Coconut milk makes a tender dough, but it also slows the rise a little. Give it time instead of adding too much flour.
4. 4

   Let it rise

   Set the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled and puffy. When you press it with one finger, the mark should slowly fill back in. That's the dough relaxing into itself.

5. 5

   Shape the loaf

   Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, press it gently into a rectangle, roll it up snug, and tuck the ends under. Set it seam-side down in the pan. Keep your hands easy. You are shaping, not wrestling.

6. 6

   Proof and brush

   Cover the pan and let the loaf rise 35 to 50 minutes, until it domes just over the rim. Stir the tablespoon of coconut milk with the optional sugar and brush it over the top for a gentle shine and light sweetness.

7. 7

   Bake golden

   Bake at 350F for 32 to 38 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the sides feel set, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If you use a thermometer, the center should read about 190F. The crust should have a soft coconut sheen, not a hard shell.

8. 8

   Cool and share

   Let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out and cool at least 30 minutes before slicing. Warm is good. Ripped open too early, the crumb turns gummy. Slice it thick and put it in the middle of the table, because bread like this is happier when hands keep coming back.

Chef Tips

• •Fresh coconut milk gives the cleanest coconut taste. A good full-fat can is fine for a home kitchen, just shake it hard or whisk it smooth before measuring.
• •Use unsweetened grated coconut. Sweetened coconut can make the loaf heavy and too sugary, and it browns faster than the crumb can finish.
• •This is Tahitian post-contact food made local, so don't treat the wheat flour like an embarrassment. The islands eat what history handed them, then answer back with their own hands.
• •For a softer sandwich-style loaf, cover the bread with a clean towel as it cools. For toast, let it cool fully, slice thick, and brown it gently.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can rise overnight in the refrigerator after kneading. Bring it back toward room temperature, shape it, then proof and bake.
• •The baked loaf keeps 2 days wrapped at room temperature. For longer storage, slice it and freeze it, then toast slices straight from frozen.
• •Make it the day before a special meal if you want clean slices. Bake-day bread is softer and more fragrant, but day-old pain coco cuts neat for sharing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 80g)