Soft and Chewy Coconut Milk Bread is so soft, fluffy, tender, and moist, thanks to the coconut milk, coconut oil, and oatmeal that’s kneaded right into the dough. Total time from start to finish is about 4 hours, most of which is downtime.
This bread is like a big, soft, fluffy pillow.
A pillow that smells very softly of coconut.
The past 6 months I’ve been going gangbusters with coconut oil in breads, muffins, and cookies. The flavor it imparts is subtle, yet it lends such a soft and moist texture to everything it touches.
For this bread, I paired coconut oil with rich, creamy coconut milk and am thrilled with the results. It’s adapted from Soft and Fluffy Sandwich Bread (vegan), which has been very popular with readers and is my husband’s all-time favorite bread.
And this one is my new favorite bread for toasting, making sandwiches with, or just nibbling on.
The good news and the bad news about this bread is that it doesn’t have much coconut flavor. If you’re a fan, you may wish for more intensity, and if you’re not into coconut, you’re totally safe. It’s usually shredded coconut, rather than coconut milk or oil, that has the pungent taste many people dislike. The bread is nothing like that.
The recipe makes one modest loaf, perfect for our family, and uses just two cups of flour for the entire loaf. When I read bread and roll recipes that begin with ‘Add 5 to 6 cups of flour’ I tune out.
Begin by warming the coconut milk, just until it begins to boil. Then, add the special ingredient that keeps the bread soft, chewy, and moist: oatmeal. You’d never know oatmeal was baked in and when mixing the dough, you’ll think there’s no way this whole cup of sloppy oatmeal is going to just disappear, but it magically does.
Let the oatmeal-coconut milk mixture cool to the proper temperature, about 15 minutes. I urge you to use a thermometer
. You don’t want to add overly hot oatmeal to the yeast because you’ll kill it. Yet it has to be warm enough so the yeast activates. For me, this is in the 120 to 130F range because I use Red Star Platinum yeast. The brand of yeast used dictates the temperature.
Combine the oatmeal mixture with all-purpose flour, yeast, brown sugar, and coconut oil. My stand mixer kneaded for about 6 minutes, and if you’re kneading by hand, knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough comes together, adding as little additional flour as possible.
This is a fairly moist and sticky dough, but manageable. With bread-making, the less flour added, and the more you tolerate sticky dough, the lighter and fluffier the bread will be. Sure, I could have added another half-cup or more of flour, but refrained and dealt with the stickiness. And I have a light, fluffy loaf in return.
I used all-purpose flour because I wanted really soft and tender bread. Bread flour will produce a loaf that’s chewier. I don’t know how whole wheat flour would work. If you try it, I suggest not using more than 1 cup (50% of the total amount) for fear it won’t rise well, and will become very heavy and dense.
After kneading, place the dough into a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Create a warm environment by preheating your oven for 1 to 2 minutes to 400F, then shutting it off. This creates a 90F-ish warm spot. Slide the bowl in and wait while the yeast works. Just make sure your oven is off.
After the dough has doubled, punch it down, turn it out onto a floured surface or Silpat and knead it for about 3 minutes.
This is my puffball after the first two-hour rise, before being punched down. You can see it’s glistening and loose, cues that the bread will turn out soft and fluffy.
With your fingers or a rolling pin, shape it into a 10-inch by 6-inch rectangle, just eyeball it. It’s being baked in an 8-inch pan and you want the long side slightly longer than the pan, so about 10 inches.
Starting with a long side, roll up the dough to form a tight cylinder. Tuck the ends in and place the cylinder in the pan. Cover it, and allow it to rise until doubled, 60 to 75 minutes. Optionally, when rolling it, sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, raisins, or dried fruit.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until domed, golden, and puffy. When tapped, it should sound hollow. Technically, the internal temperature should reach 210F, but I despise spearing pretty bread with the dagger-like thermometer probe, so I rarely do this unless I’m very uncertain. I usually rely on visual cues and tapping.
It’s so soft and fluffy, even without eggs and butter, and a great little vegan loaf. There’s a very slight chewiness, thanks to the oatmeal. But you definitely don’t think, oh there’s oatmeal in this. It’s a stealth operator.
The bread is moist and there’s a richness to the crumb that I attribute to the coconut milk and coconut oil. It’s slightly denser than this version of Sandwich Bread, which was made with water and canola oil.
It’s wonderful to eat plain, or with butter, jam, or a smear of Homemade Peanut Butter. Toast it, make French toast with it, make PB&Js for lunches with it, or put a basket of it on the dinner table and watch it disappear.
If you’ve not gotten on the coconut milk or oil train, please, hop on board.
This loaf lasted precisely 1 day.
Pin This Recipe
Soft and Chewy Coconut Milk Bread
For anyone who doesn’t love coconut, there’s almost no discernible coconut scent or taste. There’s a very mild, overall sweet flavor, along with a slight nuttiness and chewiness from the oats. There’s a richness and density to the crumb that I adore, making it one of my favorite breads. It’s so soft, fluffy, tender, and moist, thanks to the coconut milk, coconut oil, and oatmeal that’s kneaded right into the dough. Total time from start to finish is about 4 hours, most of which is downtime.
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut milk (I used Trader Joe’s Light)
- 1 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats (not quick cook or instant)
- 1/4 cup water (from the tap, not hot and not cold)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour may be used and will create a heartier, chewier bread)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (canola or vegetable oil may be substitued)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast (one 1/4-ounce packet, I use Red Star Platinum
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
Instructions
- In a 2-cup microwave-safe glass measuring cup or small bowl, heat the coconut milk until it just begins to boil; likely just over 2 minutes.
- Add oatmeal to the milk and stir to combine. Set aside and let cool until temperature reaches about 120 to 130F, about 15 minutes. (I use Red Star Platinum Yeast which necessitates this temperature; allow mixture to cool to the ~100F range for other types of instant dry yeast, or to package directions). Stir in 1/4 cup tap water.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or a large mixing bowl and knead by hand for about 10 minutes), combine flour, oil, brown sugar, instant dry yeast, and oatmeal mixture. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes on low speed, or until a moist, shaggy dough forms. The dough is quite moist and sticky, but resist the temptation to add additional flour, unless it’s so moist that it won’t combine. Conversely, if it’s too dry, add up to one-quarter cup water. Erring on the side of too moist is always preferable to too dry in bread-making.
- After kneading, turn the dough out into a large, greased bowl, cover with plasticwrap, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Create a warm environment by preheating your oven for 1 to 2 minutes to 400F, then shutting it off. This creates a 90F-ish warm spot. Slide the bowl in and wait while the yeast works. Just make sure your oven is off.
- Spray an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with (coconut) cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- After the dough has doubled, punch it down, turn it out onto a floured surface or Silpat and knead it for about 3 minutes.
- With your fingers or a rolling pin, shape dough into a 10-inch by 6-inch rectangle, just eyeball it. The long side should be slightly longer than the baking pan, which is 8 inches. Starting with a long edge, roll to form a tight cylinder. There’s not much to roll, about 3 turns. Tuck ends in and under, and place cylinder in prepared pan, seam side down. Optionally, when rolling, sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, raisins, or diced dried fruit.
- Cover pan with plasticwrap, and allow dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 60 to 75 minutes. I use the oven trick to 400F for 1 minute trick again.
- In the last minutes of rising, preheat oven to 350F. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until lightly golden, domed, and puffy. Rotate pan midway through baking if desired. When tapped, bread should sound hollow. The internal temperature should reach 210F.
- Allow bread to cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. The cooling process is important and although it’s tempting, don’t slice into warm bread. I store bread by wrapping a fully cooled loaf in plasticwrap, and place it inside a gallon-size Ziplock, where it stays fresh for about 5 days. Bread freezes very well and can be made from start to finish, cooled, and placed in a freezer-safe airtight container or a ziplock for up to 3 months. I like this bread plain, or with butter, jam, or with homemade peanut butter. It’s great toasted with butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar or Cinnamon-Sugar Butter. It makes great sandwiches and French toast.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g
Related Recipes:
Soft and Fluffy Sandwich Bread (vegan) – Soft, fluffy, light, and moist; courtesy of the cup of oatmeal that’s kneaded into the dough. My husband declared this as his favorite bread, and it inspired today’s recipe
Honey Dinner Rolls – My favorite dinner roll recipe, lightly sweetened with honey, soft and chewy. A family favorite and a very goof-proof yeast recipe because this dough loves to rise
Cinnamon-Sugar Crust Cinnamon-Ribbon Bread – A yeast-free, no-knead bread that comes together in less than 5 minutes without a mixer. Easy, foolproof an it’s the best bread crust I’ve ever had
Raisin Bread for Raisin Lovers – A soft, slightly sweet bread that’s packed to the brim with raisins. Made entirely by hand, no mixer
Pineapple Coconut Oil Banana Bread – Like eating a tropical vacation. Soft, moist, tender, and so flavorful
Overnight Buttermilk Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls – They give Cinnabon a run for their money and are the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had. With the handy make-ahead suggestions, you don’t even have to get up at the crack of dawn to enjoy soft, fluffy, buttery, rich rolls
Fluffy Vegan Coconut Oil Banana Muffins – Made with coconut oil, they’re fluffy, soft, light, and moist. No butter, no eggs, and no mixer needed in these vegan puffballs. They remind me of mini donuts, a huge bonus
Challah – Light, fluffy, soft, tender, crossiant-like, and the best challah I’ve ever had and extremely easy to make. Made using the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking principles, this is a no-knead, goofproof, and effortless method to making bread and dough can be made in advance and stored for up to five days prior to baking it
Soft Buttery One-Hour Pretzels – Almost too good to be true. Fast and easy, soft, chewy, and just like the pretzels at the mall, at home, in an hour
I’m linking this bread up to Lora the Cake Duchess’ #TwelveLoaves group
Do you have a favorite bread recipe? Do you like coconut milk or coconut oil? Do you cook or bake with it?
Please share recipe links to your favorites.
I love your bread ! I used light coconut milk , I didn’t use the water I kept it on the side to see if I need it. I put everything in my bread machine , I replaced the sugar with 2 table spoon of maple syrup , I only used 2 table of coconut oil and I added 1/2 tsp salt . While my batter was kneading I looked at the consistency, I added maybe 1/4 cup more flour and I didn’t need to use the water . I used the white flour cycle which all together was 2 hours . I always check with a thermometer when it reads 190 take it out , I was to late it red 200 but it was still super moist very good . I think bread needs salt I don’t care for a lot but it’s more bland when you don’t add it . This bread smells amazing and very versatile . I had 1 cup of leftover coconut milk from a previous recipe so instead of freezing it I made this delicious bread …thanks
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad you loved this bread!
My dear Averie.. i so love anything about coconut so I tried your recipe. It was awesome and will be a keeper. I put all the ingredients in my automated breadmaker and WOW best bread I made. Really Good.
Thanks for the 5 star review and for letting me know it’s the best bread you’ve ever made! Wow! Glad it worked in your breadmaker, too.
I made this recipe and used a pinch of salt as stated. The bread fell flat in the oven and tasted flat as well. Sort of like unsalted potatoes taste. I have since found the same recipe on another site that calls for a teaspoon of salt. Could not enough salt be the reason the bread did not hold a rise?
In my opinion there is no way salt could effect the rise of the bread but you could always test it out again and see if it really does matter.
Much more likely, it has to do with your yeast quality and age.
What kind of coconut milk??? Is it the refrigerated or canned?..
The canned type. I use light versions.
Ithe looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it!
Ughhhhh!!! Darn it! I waited and waited on this bread and both rises looked great and we’re substantial and then when I put it into the oven, it didn’t rise one single bit. It ended up with a flat time that didn’t rise above the pan, and a really dense texture. I think it may have had to do with my kneading. I had kneaded it, but I did the best I could with how sticky it was. It was all over my hands, and there was no way I could set it down to knead it like a regular dough. :(( I’m so sad about this! Is there any way that the 10 minute kneading can be done after the first 2 hour rise? It’s so much more manageable after that.
Bread is tricky sometimes and troubleshooting from afar is even harder. I would say if it’s so sticky that you couldn’t knead it properly then add more flour until you can knead it properly. Because if you don’t knead it well and develop the gluten, it won’t rise in the oven properly. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I have tried this recipe 3 times with the same results. It rises really well and tastes good. The only problem is, after being in the oven for about 20 minutes, it sinks in the middle. Not enough to be ruined, but not a very pretty loaf. I have tried bread flour and all purpose with the same results. Since this is a very soft dough I think it may need a little more flour. I have been baking bread since the early 70’s and have never had this problem before. I really want to keep this recipe. Do you think more flour would help?
Yes try more flour because not all climates are the same, nor are all ovens, ingredients, etc. but that would be an easy fix to firm up the dough and give it more stability and hopefully prevent it from sinking in the middle. Since you’re an experienced bread maker, I would trust your gut and if you think it needs more flour, it probably does. Thanks for not giving up on the recipe! Keep me posted how it goes.
Tried your recipe yesterday using all the same brand name products, but very disappointed in the flavor. Tasted very weirdly soapy to me and not at all like coconut. I tried toasting a slice this morning and the soapy flavor was even more pronounced. The loaf went in the trash. Maybe baking changes the flavor of the coconut oil and/or milk?
I love the science of baking and really wanted an explanation for the soapy taste…here is what I found from a chemical engineer:
“I spent 22 years in the edible oil industry and the answer to the soapy flavored coconut oil problem is quite straight forward. All edible oils contain low levels of “free fatty acids” (FFA). When coconuts are crushed and shredded enzymes are released that begin attacking the oil and releasing free fatty acids. This reaction requires water. When the manufacturer separates the oil from the water phase of the coconut milk the reaction slows or stops depending on the effectiveness of the separation. The medium chain length fatty acids from coconut oil are more flavorful than the longer chain length ones from soybean, canola, sunflower etc. Unfortunately they taste like soap! Coconut oil is wonderful stuff – very stable to oxidation, clean flavor (if the FFA level is low, which it usually is) and tends to be used by the body for energy rather then being deposited in your arteries and causing heart disease.
The downside is the potential for soapy off flavors. Watch out for applications where you apply both water and heat as you can release soapy flavors.”
That’s quite a detailed explanation and thanks for sharing. Before I even read it, I thought to myself it has something to do with coconut oil/milk. So now we know it doesn’t. I have never experienced the soapy taste but sounds like it is possible. I also know that coconut oil can go rancid very fast and easily, faster than the expiration date on the jar sometimes. And brand to brand, there’s a vast difference in flavor. I would try again with another type of coconut oil if you’re up to it. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Hi Avery,
I tried this recipe, everything thing went well until just before I put it to bake I realized it stopped rising and that the top was flat. I assumed it would continue rising once it started baking but it didn’t. Also, I didn’t use a mixer, I kneaded it manually. Do you have any idea what I might have done wrong?
Stopped rising is an indication possibly that the yeast wasn’t fresh/good/alive or at it’s peak. I would say try new yeast and that will help solve the problem in part. Secondly, being that you’re hand-kneading you have to REALLY knead and knead longer than you may think to develop the gluten since you don’t have a mixer doing that for you. Without really well developed gluten via lots of kneading, the rising may not go as well either.
I’ve made this bread several times and really like it. I have never used instant yeast, so I just used regular yeast and proofed it in the 1/4 water. My rise time has always been a lot shorter than yours (45 minutes per rise) and I just leave it set on my counter for rising. Is this because of not using instant yeast?
Well if that’s what you’re doing and it’s working well for you, keep doing it :)
With yeast/bread there are soooo many variables that as long as it’s working, just go with it!
I had 2 half cans of coconut milk in fridge (from recipe testing) waiting to be used up. It was perfect I came across your recipe. I used half whole wheat flour, the bread didn’t rise quite as high as yours but it is still soft and fluffy with just a hint of coconut. Absolutely loved the addition of oats.
Glad you were able to put your extra coconut milk to use and that you loved the bread. I love the oats and subtle coconut twist too. And good job on using half whole wheat flour – bread usually won’t rise as well with it – but bravo for trying it and glad it worked out well!
Hi, thanks for this.
Do you line your bread pans with parchment paper?
If not, how do you recommend avoiding burning the crust and having the bread stick to the pan?
Thx
I use Pam for Baking which is floured cooking spray and I highly, highly recommend it. Or the Baker’s Joy product that’s similar. I dont like with parchment and don’t have any issues with sticking or burning.
I am so bummed, I made this today and my bread came out flat and somewhat concave. I am a novice at bread making and usually use a bread machine but followed your directions. I was a little worried by how wet my dough was but ignored it because you had said it would be a wetter dough. My yeast is still fresh, not sure where I went wrong- do you have any suggestions? There was one more thing after the first rise, my dough had a slight alcohol scent. Does that mean that I didn’t knead it long enough or just a by product of the yeast?
Hi Julie – there are so many things that can go wrong in bread making and without being there with you, I am not sure. I would say that you yes, could have added more flour. The dough should be moist and wet, but not so sloppy that it’s a total mess. You need to add enough flour for your climate and conditions so that it’s workable. I live in dry San Diego and if you live in a humid climate, you could likely need much more flour than I do. The alcohol scent – that could be a byproduct of the rising/yeast fermentation process and not necessarily something to worry about. You could have also not kneaded it long enough and not developed the gluten enough which would contribute to the lack of structure and rise. You could have underbaked it, thus it being concave (sinking bread generally means underbaked/not hot enough internal temperature). Others have made this with success and I have one woman who makes two loaves a week of it – so I know the recipe works – somewhere in there, things went a little south for you and LMK if you think you know where that was!
Thanks for your advise, Averie. I’ll definitely give it a try again!
I need to make gluten free breads. Have you tried this recipe with gluten free flour? I’m wondering if it will work at all.
Haven’t tried it as a GF flour and I have no idea if it will work or not…baking yeast bread GF is it’s own science! I would start searching online and googling and hope you come up with a plan!
This bread looks amazing so I am wondering….what about a bread machine? Any obvious reason why a bread machine wouldn’t work??
Thanks!
I don’t use a bread machine so cannot comment one way or the other! LMK if you try it!
I’m finally making it over to say I just love this bread. That sparkly jam and that fluffy loaf has been on my mind since I saw it on Pinterest when you posted it. A perfect loaf and I have to start baking more with coconut oil. Thanks for linking up (and the 12Loaves shoutout), Averie! :)
Well thanks for hosting 12loaves. I think it’s awesome, Lora! :) Thanks for the sweet compliments, too!
Re: coconut milk bread
OK, I have now attempted this bread four (yes, four) times in two days, and I am having a heck of a time. It rises really well on the first rise, but the second rise is pretty pitiful. My fourth and final attempt was the best so far, but even though it had a real nice 2nd rise and actually domed higher than the pan, it flattened out again during baking. Very frustrating. However, the flavor is great and I am still determined to get it right. I wonder if you have any suggestions. I am at 6,000 feet, so my dough tends to rise quicker, and I am using whole-wheat white flour (King Arthur brand). I am also curious how you manage to handle the dough when it is so sticky. I find it nearly impossible. I tried oiling my hands, flouring my hands, spatula kneading, you name it (no fancy mixer here!). I saw that above you suggest using less flour if not using white flour, but I can’t imagine it being even stickier! Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thank you so much.
“I am using whole-wheat white flour” = THAT IS WHY you are having issues! Whole wheat flour of any kind, white-wheat or “wheaty’wheat” (browner) will not rise anywhere near what just plain jane white all-purpose will; or white bread flour. I guarantee that if you give up on the wheat ideas (or you will have to add vital wheat gluten or other tricks for baking with wheat), you will have success.
And my climate is dry (San Diego). If your climate is moister/more humid, add flour as necessary so the dough is workable and not so sticky that it’s giving you issues.
But I can almost guarantee if you make the recipe like I WROTE it, with white all-purpose (I use King Arthur, white bag with red), you’re going to have luck! I cautioned in the recipe about using wheat and this is why.
Also since I don’t bake at altitude (I bake at total sea level, live 1 mile from the ocean), I cannot help you with the altitude baking. But you are soooo close, I know it. Try it with white and get back to me; and use enough flour so you can handle it (not sticky) and keep me posted! Thanks for trying b/c you are right, this bread is worth it :)
I had a similar problem with flatness/no doming during baking. I used white all-purpose flour. I’m at 4800 ft. It seemed to rise well the first time and pretty well the 2nd time (not exactly sure what it should look like). I’m new at the bread thing, so any help would be appreciated. I followed your recipe exactly and I’m not sure what I should adjust for next time. Any suggestions?
Are you using a high quality flour like King Arthur? If you’re using other flours like Pillsbury, Gold Medal, etc. they have less protein and are less likely to rise well. Altitude baking is not something I am familiar with but King Arthur’s website has a slew of tips that you could probably read. If your bread didn’t dome while baking, perhaps the internal temp didn’t get hot enough, the yeast wasnt active/alive, you didnt let it rise long enough, your oven is running cool, you just needed to bake longer – there are so many things that could occur that it’s impossible for me to troubleshoot. LMK what you try and what works!
coconut milk bread is something new for ma. Very interesting idea, I can imagine it’s taste. Need to make it :)
This loaf looks perfect :) I’ve got to try this recipe soon, it sounds wonderful!
This looks awesome and I can’t wait to try it. I’ve not used coconut oil or milk in a recipe, but am looking forward to giving it a try. Thanks … Now I’ve really got to go look at that pretzel recipe!!
They make things just taste so wonderful! I love baking with them!
I just had to tell you … I made a loaf this past Wednesday and it came out perfect. My daughter and I also used your pretzel recipe to make Spinach & Mozzarella Turnovers. Can I link my blogpost back to your page?
I’m thrilled that your loaf came out just perfect with this recipe and that with the other pretzel recipe that you had great luck with that one, too!
Feel free to link to my blog post on your website! Thanks for asking – and for making my recipes!
Gorgeous looking bread. Thanks for sharing. :)
I’m reading the recipe, and I’m confused where you mixed the yeast and water. In step 2, you mixed the milk, oats & water and followed with a discussion of temperature for the yeast.
In step 3, you’re adding the dry yeast to the batter. Does the yeast not need to be mixed with water because it’s “instant dry”?
Sorry, I’ve never ever worked with yeast before, so just curious. Thanks. :)
” Does the yeast not need to be mixed with water because it’s “instant dry”?” <----Right. It goes right in with the flour and sugar b/c it's instant dry so it doesn't need to be proofed first (mixed with a liquid). The reason you want the liquid warm is b/c you need to activate the yeast. In theory, it will perk up if you splashed cold water on it, but the reason you want the liquid warm is so that it activates optimally. Just keep re-reading the recipe over and over, do as I have written in the recipe; it works. I know it's hard when you first start working with yeast but just follow along exactly as I write the recipe (I am VERY thorough!) and you will end up with great bread!
We love this version too! The coconut oil and milk is faint, not strong at all. It is great sandwich bread–I made grilled cheese with it today.
Ahhh so glad you tried it, Paula! Thanks for coming back and LMK! I agree than the coconut flavor is very mild and faint. I would have loved your grilled cheese with it! Thanks for coming back to LMK that you made it! Love that you made this version AND the original!
I had such a good time with the honey dinner rolls–this looks heavenly! I’m sorry there’s not as much of a coconut flavor–if only throwing in a handful of shredded coconut would work out! I love that in my breads, especially Chinese cocktail buns.
Oh, I am SO aboard the coconut oil train. It is amazing to bake with–that’s probably my favorite way to use it! (I will never be able to stomach the thought of putting it in coffee or smoothies.) I haven’t tried making bread with it, but now I’m going to have to!
This bread looks STUNNING, Averie! My mouth is agape — out of awe, and because I want to shove the whole loaf in there. :) YUM.
Well thank you – and you make some stunners yourself! :)
What a gorgeous loaf of bread! Those slices with jam on them are making me want fresh, warm bread! I love that you used coconut milk and coconut oil in it. I have been using those a lot more too!!!
i’m so in love with coconut lately, anything coconut. looks delicious.. this is like dessert. gorgeous photos too!
Hi,
I tried this bread today. It look wonderfull, till I placed it in a cylinder pan. It went down and didn’t come up again. Ik stayed very flat after baking. I hope you can tell me what I did wrong.I am following
your blog since a while and I love it.
Marion
It’s so hard to tell what happens with bread-making and all the possible pitfalls. It sounds like it rose fine during the first rise but something happened on the second rise after you rolled it out. I am not sure what that was or where in the many steps things went wrong; climate/temperature is a big one and normally if something is going well overall, it won’t tend to crash and burn from the first rise to being rolled out and placed in a pan for the 2nd rise; so it’s hard for me to say what happened.
If you try again, make sure you are very, very particular with the temperatures from the temp of the milk added to the temp your bread is rising in (not a cold house) and make sure your yeast is super fresh. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Now that is one gorgeous bread, Averie! I LOVE coconut so this recipe is going onto my to-bake list!! Pinning!
Thanks for the pin, Anna! I know you’ll love this bread b/c you love coconut!
Could this loaf be any more perfect?! It is gorgeous and it looks SOOOO delicious!
Your pizza from the other day was perfect :)
The thin crust and soft texture of the bread caught my eyes. This is another blog that I will explore further.
Love this! It looks so fluffy. I’ve been using tj’s coconut milk since it’s not in a can but I can barely detect coconut flavor. Most of the time I use it just like almond or regular milk.
I use their unsweetened almond milk or Silk’s for many things and usually buy their canned coconut milk for baking needs b/c it’s thicker than the cartons of coconut milk. It just depends on what I’m going for!
That bread looks so fluffy and gorgeous! I am really into bread baking these days – I haven’t tried RedStar yeast though. Do you think it is much better than other kinds?
The Red Star Platinum yeast is without a doubt my FAVORITE yeast and I get wayyyyyyyyy better results with that yeast than any other. It’s forgiving, works better, and is just a great yeast. It’s a few nickles more than other yeast but so worth it. Look for the Platinum like of yeast, not just their regular line.
Everything looks wonderful! I’m hosting a new linky party at http://hickorytrailblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/efforts-and-assets-linky-party-1.html
I would love to have you!
Angela
I absolutely LOVE baking with coconut milk! This bread looks absolutely delicious! Total perfection as always :)
Thanks, Trish, and thanks for hosting your linky party every week!
I love that this bread is made with coconut milk! It’s one of my favorite ingredients without a doubt. I’ve totally got the bug to start making my own bread, and this is another nudge in that direction1
Another wonderful looking bread on the “to make list”. Got to get some supplies first. If it is anything like the fluffy sandwich bread you made- it will be delicious! Tell me – how do you cut your bread to make the slices so perfect??
With a big, sharp, serrated knife! Nothing fancy but I just take my time! :)
Ooooh I love the idea of biting into this pillowy soft bread with just a hint of coconut flavor! It sounds phenomenal
Could this bread be any more perfect?! Nope! I loooove that it only uses two cups of flour and also has the addition of oats. Awesome recipe!!! And PS – every recipe you post makes me want to run to the kitchen and start baking right away!
I’m glad the posts make you want to start baking! That’s always a good sign :)
I’m a little crazy for coconut as well lately, oil, butter, milk, you name it, it’s in my pantry at the moment!
Okay. I reeallllllly need to make bread now. You’re a bread genius Averie, I love this!
as a complete carb addict and everything coconut lover, this is my idea of a perfect food! your loaves are always perfect looking – I will be making this bread tomorrow, and I can almost smell it already:)
No way, really? Okay well LMK how it goes for you! I know you know your way around bread and yeast so hopefully you love this one as much as I do! keep me posted!
This would be my favoite bread of your bunch too, Averie. I have to tell you – I love how you explain the process. I know it’s a ton to type (it takes me SO long!) but I truly have learned so much about bread baking from your posts. I am thankful! I just used coconut milk last week to make my oatmeal very creamy. Well, it was SUPER creamy and amazing. I have to bake with it now! This loaf of bread looks SO soft and yes – like a huge bread pillow! The shot of the slice of bread with jelly – ummm, I shot my bread with strawberry jelly lol. Last night I toasted the last piece with a little butter. Amazing! I bet this would be even better. Such pretty pictures too!
Glad that my posts have taught you things and that you find them helpful. With bread, there are things that can go wrong, even ‘simple’ loaves, like this one. Rolls, cinn rolls, etc. are even more detailed b/c you have to talk fillings and frostings! But I’d rather spell it out as much as possible so people make it, and with success!
That’s too funny about your strawberry jam + bread pics. We are twins, I swear!
This bread looks like a pillow I want to dive into!
Totally honestly, this is the most perfect looking homemade bread I’ve ever seen! Thanks for sharing, Averie!
Really? Well I am flattered! Thank you!
This bread!! Love it. 5-6 cups of flour freaks me out, too. I made a 3-loaf recipe once that started with “11 cups of flour” and I almost died. I always have coconut milk in the cabinet and I really don’t know why it never occurred to me to make bread with it, but I’m doing it. This and those honey dinner rolls are at the top of my bread list!
And you have more kids than I do and you have boys (they eat more!) so an 11 cup recipe is almost laughable here. My daughter eats a half slice and tells me she’s full. Lol Then again, bread does freeze well, but ya know.
Yes, I love using both coconut milk and coconut oil in my kitchen. This bread looks fantastic! I especially like the photos with the jam, reminds me to make some homemade strawberry jam this summer. Nothing beats homemade bread toasted and then slathered with some butter and homemade strawberry jam, yum, yum!
Homemade jam is the best and it’s strawberry season – can’t beat it!
I LOVE coconut!! Need to test this one out!
Pillowy bread that smells like coconut…sounds like heaven to me!
Wow…this bread sounds soooooo good! My family would love this! I love how light and fluffy it looks.
Thanks, Holly!
Coconut milk? Delicious idea! And it looks so soft!
I have started to get into more bread baking and this recipe sounds easy to handle. Cant wait to make it!
Oh, this is making my tummy grumble!! I am imagining it smothered with Nutella! Goodbye bikini! :) I love coconut milk and coconut in general, it’s so versatile!
A recipe that calls for over 3 cups of flour always scares me (and makes me want to run for the yoga pants!). This recipe sounds Perfect. It looks so pretty adorned with red jam! :D
That is one gorgeous loaf! I bet the coconut milk gives it great flavor. I don’t bake bread that often but all of these gorgeous pictures have me inspired!
I love the smell of coconut but not the taste of coconut (unless it’s fresh) so I’m loving that this bread has the smell but not much of the taste! I really need to start using coconut oil/milk in my recipes!
Oh Averie. You KNOW how I love your homemade sandwich bread! And, since I have so many cans of coconut milk in my cupboard, I have already mixed up this recipe and set it on the stove to rise. I doubled it, however, as we will definitely need 2 loaves! My husband prefers to have the vegan breads, although he is not a vegan. He says when he eats it that it doesn’t produce the weight in his stomach like breads with dairy and eggs. I can’t wait to hear the results of this one. Fantastic and super easy recipe! I LOVE THAT!! :-)
Leave it to you, Michele, to have bread dough already rising on a post that’s 8 hours old! And a double batch, AT THAT! My hat is off to you and I am so thrilled you’re already making this!!! I know you guys love the sandwich bread and this is just as good, if not better :) I prefer this one, for the itsy bitsy amt of coconut you can barely taste and the richness of the crumb. Keep me posted on what you think and how you’d compare the two! xo :)
I absolutely love coconut but never thought about mixing it to make bread, so genius Averie! It looks so yummy!
Oh wow, this looks fantastic. Definitely pinning this. It’s funny because sometimes I like a really good crusty, sort of dense bread. But then there are times when you need something really light and fluffy like this.
Thanks for the pin my friend!
Oh my goodness, Averie! Each new recipe you post leaves me more and more astounded! This looks AMAZING!
You are too sweet, Kelly! Seriously – thank you!
Can’t wait to try it! I am also on a coconut kick with my fiance! Have you every tried the coconut flour in baking or any other recipes? I have seen it listed in a couple of recipes, but haven’t tried it yet.
Coconut FLOUR is a very, very different flour than any other flour I’ve ever used. It absorbs tons and tons of liquid, it’s like Bounty paper towels inside a mixing bowl. It sucks out all the liquid and so you have to be very, very very careful with it or you will end up with hockeypuck dry food!
Coconut oil/milk – yes, use them tons and love them!
I’m like you and always cringe or look the other way when a recipe calls for 5+ cups of flour. I love that this one only requires 2!
Amen to that!
I had a jar of coconut oil in my pantry for ages and never wanted to bake with it because I got scared off by the saturated fat content. Then I read it had a high smoking point and I was intrigued. Started using it in cookies and I was thrilled just like you. It really is amazing what it does, and how wonderful it makes your house smell without overpowering your baked goods with coconut flavour. I’m going a little nuts with it over here, too. This bread looks so fluffy and easy, right up my alley!
I used to be leery of the fat content too; but realized how wonderful it is to bake with and got over any trepidations!
This looks amazing. I love the soft, moist texture that coconut milk gives my baked goods, but I never even thought of putting it into a yeast bread. Brilliant! I also love the flavor of coconut, so I ‘m sometimes disappointed by its absence when used in baking. I might have to try this out with a little shredded coconut on top, just to get that flavor. I bet it’d be awesome with peanut butter!
Mmm, that sounds delish!
Nice. My husband just commented yesterday that he needed to make more bread…I think this is just the recipe :) I love anything with coconut!
You have a smart husband! LMK if you try it!
Oh my gosh! It looks SO incredibly soft and perfect. The carb lover in me is freaking out. I need to get my hands on some coconut milk and oil soon.
You’re going to love it, Rachel. I know you make some gorgeous breads so this will be so easy for you!
Everything about this bread has my brain screaming yes! I always keep coconut milk and coconut oil in the house for baking, and I love that you made a whole big loaf using it. A must try for me.
I know you love them just like I do!
It looks PERFECT! Fluffy, soft and just so good!! I have to make this!
Ooh pillow soft bread! I’m on it! Do you think you could use half whole wheat? I am going to use oatmeal in bread if it gives it that texture AND my family won’t notice;) And, how you make an ordinary loaf look that special in photos is a talent, I am convinced.
Re-read post in the middle of the post. I discussed my thoughts on whole wheat flour, not more than 50%, etc. :)
Thank you! It must drive crazy when people ask questions about something you already answered. Sorry:( I will be trying your other version of this bread though and I think I’ll sub half whole wheat. Thanks again!
When it comes from a regular reader like you, not a biggie. It’s the people who click over from somewhere, and don’t read the post AT ALL and ask something I discussed over and over, clearly demonstrating, they were just staring at the pics the whole time :)
Everything about this sounds amazing. What a great idea!
This bread looks unbelievably soft! Yum!! I love using coconut milk in baking, and will have to try it with this kind of bread. Only problem – I think I could eat the entire loaf!! :)
And I practically did…and it was so worth it :)
Hi Averie,
The bread looks great. I am new to coconut milk and coconut oil, but am loving it so far. I have only made a few things with it. Is the coconut milk in this recipe the canned kind? I know at Trader Joe’s they have refrigerated (in a “milk” type carton) and canned “lite”. I am just want to make sure. Thanks!
I used their canned, light version (green can). I know they have the milk carton versions, too; and other brands, i.e. So Delicious, Silk, etc. make cartons and in this recipe, whatever coconut milk anyone has and wants to use is fine; it really isn’t going to matter too much vs. say a frosting or a whipped coconut cream or a coconut cream pie where the version matters much more. Good question though!
I really liked your sandwich bread recipe and am digging that this has coconut milk and coconut oil added to this version. Pinned :)
Thanks for the Pin & glad you liked the sandwich bread recipe – I love both that one and this one, but this one trumps that one, just by a hair for me :)
I remember your original sandwich bread and I love the coconut twist in this version! I have decided that I really like it when the mixer does the kneading….sometimes a girl just needs a little help! Some weekend baking is in order (and I have 1 packet of yeast due to expire next month anyway). I think I’ll try to whip up a batch of those caramel PB Twix bars while my bread dough rises!
I figure as long as the mixer is there, may as well use it. Sometimes I do a 2 minute quick hand-knead after the mixer is done if I feel a particular dough needs it before the 1st rise, but generally speaking, I don’t bother.
And ” whip up a batch of those caramel PB Twix bars while my bread dough rises!” — sounds like I wish I was eating at your house this weekend :)
It’s great that this recipe includes oats. It’s a great added source of fibre, even though it produces a soft chewy bread!
I am a fan of soft breads and I also think everything tastes better with coconut milk (especially curries).
I would have never thought of putting it together with bread, but it sounds like it would be a very good combination.
I will be giving this recipe a try with some added raisins, because raisin bread is my favourite!
Mmm, sounds good! Lmk how the raisins go for you! I have a Raisin Bread recipe as well that’s made for Raisin Lovers! http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/12/raisin-bread-for-raisin-lovers.html