sourdough pan de coco

after a rejuvenating august, i intended for september to be a time to discover sourdough steamed buns. instead, i found myself grappling with a lack of motivation and curiosity for most things i normally loved. i felt overwhelmed by the world, and drained by my personal life.

i took comfort in other people’s recipes. a few batches of chocolate dipped miso almond butter cookies. a dozen red bean paste and salted honey peanut mooncakes.

one of my favorite recipes was artisan bryan’s sourdough pan de coco.

it’s a recipe as chill and foolproof as they come, which was exactly the vibe i needed. simple, uncomplicated, without compromising an ounce of deliciousness. the creamy coconut with the tangy sourdough meld together to create a yogurt-y like flavor.

i’d highly recommend giving this loaf a try. it’s perfect for folks just starting out with sourdough, and also perfect for more experienced folks looking for a different voice and process.

i’ve included my personal notes below, along with the link to the original recipe. enjoy, and remember to be extra kind to yourself during these trying times my friends.

original recipe

artisan bryan’s sourdough pan de coco

notes

• if you’re like me and try to minimize sourdough starter volume, i’d recommend halving all measurements in the levain build method.
• it took my starter closer to 6 hours to double in volume based on cooler fall kitchen temperatures. definitely adjust based on your kitchen and season!
• i used my hands to incorporate everything and let it ferment overnight in the fridge. this made for an extremely chill, extremely unfussy process.
• three logs felt a little awkward in my loaf tin so i went with four logs.
• i added more than 50g of sweetened coconut. my recommendation here is just to generously sprinkle whatever you have on top and not worry too much about precise measurements.
• bryan is right — this bread was best eaten fresh out of the oven! i would say it keeps for a few days at room temp. any longer and i’d recommend freezing. to re-heat i’d recommend microwaving until the texture becomes soft again.