Pani Popo

Pani popo is a Samoan dish that literally means “buns in coconut milk.”  It is a sweet dish and very heavy, and can be purchased in most Samoan food stores, like Dot’s by K.P.T.  If you want to make it at home, here’s a great recipe.  The hardest part is preparing the buns…

5^3/4  to 6^1/4  cups all-purpose flour

1 pckg yeast

2 1/4 cups +2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp shortening (or butter)

1 teaspoon salt

BUNS:

In a saucepan, heat and stir the milk, sugar, shortening, and salt until warm and the shortening has almost melted.  Pour this into a large mixing bowl containing 2 1/2 cups of flour and the yeast.  Beat this for about 30 seconds, making sure dry and the wet ingredients are well mixed. 

Using a spoon, mix in as much of the remaining  flour as you can to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and easy to pull.  Put Crisco on your hands (to add moisture to your rolls and make it easier to handle) and shape the dough into large ball.  Place it in a greased bowl.  Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a cool oven on the top rack with a pan of hot water below it.  Let rise for 45 minutes and punch dough down.  Roll 18 balls and cover for 10 minutes.

SAUCE:

While the buns rise, mix 2 cans of coconut milk with 1 cup of sugar (add more sugar if you like it sweeter).  Pour this mixture between two 13x9x2 pans.  Place 9 rolls in each pan and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until bread tests done.  Let cool and fa’aumu (chiiii-hooo!)!!!