Asian
Klepon Bread Rolls (Pandan and Coconut Flavor)
- Prep time 4 hours
- Cook time 30 minutes
- Serves 8 rolls
Author Notes
Klepon is a traditional Indonesian snack, which is a combination of pandan, coconut, and gula jawa or palm sugar. I'm recreating it in the form of bread.
My version consists of pandan bread filled with shredded coconut and gula jawa. These bread are soft and such a great vehicle to deliver this unique flavor.
As for the ingredients, I'm using freshly shredded coconut for the filling and rolling the dough. You can steam unsweetened desiccated coconut if you can’t find the fresh one.
You can also skip the pandan leaves since I know it's not easily accessible all around the world. Using it will make the coconut filling smells amazing.
This recipe calls for gula jawa, which is made from coconut, in a cylindrical block shape. Other alternatives would be blocks of gula aren (derived from the sap of arenga trees) or palm sugar. —Devina | Dough Not Be Mad
Ingredients
- Filling
-
120 grams
freshly shredded coconut (save a little bit for rolling the dough)
-
pandan leaves (optional)
-
a pinch of salt
-
85 grams
gula jawa or gula aren or palm sugar in a cylindrical shape
- Bread Dough
-
200 grams
bread flour
-
15 grams
caster sugar/granulated sugar
-
2 grams
table salt
-
3 grams
instant yeast
-
1
egg (50-55 gr)
-
90-95 grams
milk (you might need to adjust the amount of the milk depending on the weight of your egg and the brand of flour you’re using)
-
3 grams
pandan extract
-
28 grams
softened unsalted butter
Directions
- Filling
- Clean the pandan leaves. Tie them into a knot, which will help release their aroma and easier to remove.
- Add the pandan leaves and salt to the shredded coconut. Mix them well.
- Steam for 10-15 mins. If you are making them in a small batch, 10 mins should be enough.
- Let them cool completely before using. Store them in the freezer if you won't use them right away.
- Bread Dough
- Mix bread flour, salt, yeast, and sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg.
- In a jug, mix the milk and pandan extract. Then, pour the mixture into the well. Mix until it forms a shaggy dough and let it rest for 10 mins while being covered.
- Add the softened butter and knead by hand for 10 mins. Let the dough rest for 3 mins and you can do the windowpane test. Take a little piece of the dough, roll it into a ball, and gently stretch it. If you can see light through the dough, you can proceed to the next step. If the dough easily tears, you might need to knead it again for another 3-5 mins. However, I usually find that 10 mins of kneading are sufficient.
- Put the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl, and let the dough proof for 45 mins (time may vary depending on where you live).
- Give the dough a fold when 45 mins have passed. Plop the dough on the work surface so the seam side is facing you. Take the ends or outer side of the dough into the middle and shape it into a ball. Then, let the dough rise again for another 45 mins until it has doubled in size and become smoother than before.
- Plop the dough back into the work surface and divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each dough into balls. Cover them with a damp towel and let them rest for 10 mins.
- While the dough is resting, make the filling. If you freeze the coconut from before, thaw them first or steam them for 5-8 mins until softened. Cut the gula jawa into tiny pieces and mix them with the shredded coconut.
- After the dough has rested, flatten out the dough and fill each roll with about 1-1,5 tbsp of the filling. Roll the outside of the dough in shredded coconut. Don’t forget to cover them with a damp towel and let the dough proof for about 45 mins.
- Bake in a preheated 180°C oven for 15 mins. I usually rotate the tray after 13 mins of baking so they bake evenly, then continue baking for another 2 mins. They should be golden on the outside and the bottom.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and let it cool. Enjoy!
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