70% Sponge Method Coconut Toast [Includes Coconut Filling Recipe]
When it comes to coconut toast, I've always wanted a simple yet well-presented design. Finally found it, only to realize my shaping skills aren't great—no worries. I'll save this for now and improve with practice. While editing photos, my daughter Han came over and said mysteriously, 'Mom, this bread looks so ugly.' Haha, oh my! I know it's ugly, but I'm posting it anyway! [If I shelve this today, this bread might never see the light of day again. Let's face it boldly!] Because this bread is truly fragrant, soft, and delicious. I highly recommend everyone try it. Sometimes, I really crave coconut bread. As always, I used the 70% sponge method. I really recommend using this method for bread; the results are great, and the bread stays fresh longer. Another benefit is that the mixing time for the dough is significantly reduced. In this hot early summer, shorter mixing times help control the dough temperature better—an excellent choice.
Ingredients
Steps
This time I used high-gluten flour from 'Zhen Gu Nong' Hokkaido Rice. This flour has strong water absorption. If using another flour, reserve 10–15g of water in the sponge to prevent difficulty during shaping.
Dissolve the dry yeast for the sponge in water, mix well, then add the flour. Use a stand mixer or hands to knead until the ingredients are uniform. Let the kneaded sponge rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours. I usually knead it before bed and start baking around 9–10 a.m. the next day. [Refrigeration for up to 24 hours is generally fine.]
The sponge dough is ready and reveals many honeycomb structures when torn apart. It should smell like mild rice wine, not overly sour.
Combine the sponge and all main dough ingredients except for the butter in your stand mixer bowl. [Soften the butter to room temperature at this time.] Using a QL7600 mixer, mix on speed 3 for 3 minutes until combined, then on speed 7 for about 6 minutes to reach the thick membrane stage.
Add room-temperature softened butter, mix at speed 3 for 3 minutes until combined, and then on speed 7 for about 2–3 minutes until the dough reaches the full windowpane stage.
Windowpane Test: You should be able to stretch the dough into a thin, even membrane. The membrane must have elasticity, and any tear should have smooth edges. [If the dough doesn't pass this test, the mixing isn't complete. Proper mixing ensures great oven spring for your bread, even with added fillings.]
Check the dough temperature. It's optimal to keep the mixed dough around 26°C.
Shape the kneaded dough into a ball and let it rest in a container. Cover with plastic wrap for room-temperature relaxation. [For 70% sponge method dough, 30 minutes of relaxation should suffice. You can also ferment it to double its size—choose whichever suits your preference.]
I left my dough at room temperature for about 50 minutes. The dough didn't double but was ready for the next step. No need to overthink this step, as long as it’s not overfermented.
While the dough rests, prepare the coconut filling.
Soften butter at room temperature and mix with powdered sugar until combined. No need to whip. Add a whole egg and use a hand whisk to emulsify it. Mix until just combined.
[My simplified method: no need to whip the butter or add the egg in portions. Just ensure the butter is softer than for cookies; otherwise, the mixture might separate.] Even if slight separation occurs, it’s fine.
Add desiccated coconut and mix until combined. I used a premium desiccated coconut purchased in a group-buy—fragrant, melt-in-your-mouth quality. Don't miss it if you're interested. [Details in my public channel.]
Finally, mix in milk until combined. At high room temperatures, the filling might feel wet. Refrigerate it until needed.
Divide the relaxed dough into two portions, about 247g each. Round them tightly, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 15–20 minutes. If it's too warm, you can refrigerate the dough during relaxation.
Roll the relaxed dough into a tongue shape, then flip it over. Shape into long strips and thin out the edges. Spread the coconut filling evenly, leaving a 1cm margin on the sides and 1.5cm at the bottom.
Roll each piece tightly and seal the bottom seam. Ensure the rolled dough is approximately 35cm long—shorter rolls will result in fewer layers, affecting appearance.
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise, leaving the ends intact. Fold the two ends downward to reveal the layers of coconut and dough.
Place the shaped dough into a loaf pan.
Place the shaped dough into a fermentation box set at 36°C and 88% humidity for about 50 minutes. Let it rise until it reaches 80–90% full but not overproofed.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C on the middle-lower rack. For smaller ovens, bake on the lower rack. For a low-sugar loaf pan, bake at 180°C for 34 minutes. [Standard loaf pans may take about 42 minutes at 180°C.] Photo shows the rise after 8 minutes in the oven. It rose more later.
Coconut toasts brown easily; keep an eye and cover with foil if needed. Tap the pan on the counter after baking, transfer to a cooling rack, then stand the loaf up to cool completely. This tall loaf’s rounded corners show that it was perfectly proofed.
Cut it while still warm, and the structure looks nice to me~ [Ironically, the slice happened to lack coconut filling. Such luck! I assure you it's well-filled.]
For making any bread, I always stress the importance of mixing. Mixing is the most crucial step in bread-making!
You can skip the filling and turn this into plain white toast~
Egg-rich doughs like this tend to rise well~