Masi ‘ulu (Samoan fermented breadfruit)
Masi ʻulu is a Samoan breadfruit paste fermented in a leaf-lined pit, kneaded, formed into loaves, wrapped in leaves and baked. A secondary FAO account describes the method; no household batch is established.
Modern adaptation
Pani popo (Samoan coconut buns)
Pani popo · Panipopo · Pani popo buns · Samoan coconut buns
Soft yeast rolls bake beneath sweet coconut sauce in this Polynesian Cultural Center adaptation of a wheat-bread recipe, which yields twelve buns for a shared tray.
A Samoan bun in one published version
The Polynesian Cultural Center presents pani popo as a Samoan favorite: yeast bread paired with sweetened coconut milk. Its recipe is adapted slightly from King Arthur Flour and pours the thickened sauce over the risen rolls immediately before baking. The center notes that some versions place the rolls into sauce earlier and that cooks also use ready-made frozen rolls; this page follows the from-scratch wheat dough it publishes.
The batch makes twelve buns in a 9 × 13 inch pan. The center doubles the sauce amount compared with its base recipe, so the coconut glaze surrounds and coats the rolls. That feature belongs to this particular published version and should not be read as a single standard for all pani popo.
Sources for this section
Two rises and a separate sauce
The dough contains all-purpose flour, sugar, milk powder, instant yeast, water, eggs, butter, salt and vanilla. It rises once until nearly doubled, then again after it is portioned into twelve buns. The second rise overlaps with heating the oven and cooking the sauce. The page gives room-temperature rising guidance but no numerical proofing temperature, and says the first rise may take longer after hand-kneading.
The sauce combines coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir it constantly over medium-high heat until it thickens slightly. The instructions reserve about a quarter to pour over the hot baked buns; the remaining sauce is applied before they enter the oven.
Sources for this section
Serving and keeping
The source gives golden tops and a 190°F internal reading as the baking endpoint. After baking, it directs the cook to pour over the reserved sauce. Once cool, the buns are wrapped airtight and refrigerated; the page gives no storage duration. It suggests warming one bun in a microwave for 30 seconds at half power.
The Polynesian Cultural Center identifies Samoa as the dish's cultural association, but this recipe is adapted from a U.S. flour company's formula and is not evidence of one universal Samoan dough or sauce. Its measurements, proofing times and sauce ratio are retained as that site's version.
Sources for this section
History
The Polynesian Cultural Center identifies pani popo as a Samoan coconut bun and describes its version as adapted slightly from King Arthur Flour. The dough is wheat-based and the center doubles the coconut-sauce quantity for extra glaze. This is one published contemporary version; other pani popo methods use different doughs or put the rolls directly into sauce. The page does not date the first attestation or establish that one formula is universal.
Ingredients
Yield 12 buns · Scaling: source batch only
Unbleached all-purpose flourfor the dough
828 mL3½ cup as recorded
Granulated sugarfor dough
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
Dry milk powderfor dough
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
11 mL2¼ tsp as recorded
Lukewarm waterfor dough
177 mL¾ cup as recorded
2 large
Buttersoftened
59 mL4 tbsp as recorded
Saltfor dough
6.2 mL1¼ tsp as recorded
Vanilla extract
4.9 mL1 tsp as recorded
Coconut milkwell shaken or stirred
591 mL2½ cup as recorded
PCC says it doubled this sauce amount to provide more glazeGranulated sugarfor coconut sauce
237 mL1 cup as recorded
Cornstarchfor coconut sauce
15 mL3 tsp as recorded
Saltfor coconut sauce
1.2 mL¼ tsp as recorded
Method
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Raw flour and eggs in dough
The dough contains uncooked flour and eggs before baking; these ingredients can carry harmful germs.
Hazard sourcePerishable baked buns and coconut sauce
The rolls contain milk powder, eggs and butter, and are topped with coconut sauce; the source says to refrigerate them after cooling but gives no time limit.
Hazard sourceDo not taste raw dough. Bake the buns as directed and wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling flour or eggs.
Control sourceAfter cooling, refrigerate the buns within 2 hours of baking, or within 1 hour if the air is above 90°F (32°C); keep the refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C). This is general FDA perishable-food guidance, not a product-specific shelf-life validation.
Control sourceThe source says to refrigerate the cooled buns but gives no storage duration.
Do not taste raw dough; bake it before eating.
- Mix the flour, sugar, milk powder, instant yeast, water, eggs, softened butter, salt and vanilla. Knead by hand or with a stand mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic. In a stand mixer, the source gives 5–7 minutes at second speed; the dough should mostly clear the bowl sides while remaining slightly tacky underneath.
- Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it and let it rise at room temperature until nearly doubled, about 1 hour. Allow longer if needed, especially after hand-kneading.
- Grease a 9 × 13 inch pan. Gently deflate the risen dough and move it to a lightly greased work surface. Divide it into 12 pieces. Form each piece into a ball, pinching a small knot underneath and rolling it smooth under your palm. Set the rolls evenly spaced in the pan and cover lightly.
- Let the shaped rolls rise for about 45–60 minutes. About halfway through this rise, heat the oven to 350°F (about 177°C).
- During the final 20 minutes of rising, whisk the coconut milk, 1 cup sugar, cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon salt together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about 5–7 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Pour about three quarters of the warm coconut sauce over the risen rolls. Bake in the heated oven for 18–25 minutes, until the tops are golden and the center of a roll registers 190°F (about 88°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- While the rolls are still warm, pour the remaining sauce over them and spread it across their tops. Let them cool, then wrap and refrigerate within 2 hours of baking, or within 1 hour if the air is above 90°F (32°C); keep the refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C). The source gives no storage duration. Reheat an individual bun for 30 seconds at 50% microwave power.
Conditions
Yield12 buns
Fermentation1.75–2 h
Temperature controlAmbient, monitored
Places
Samoa
Traditional preparation · Country evidenceThe Polynesian Cultural Center identifies pani popo as Samoan. Its published batch is adapted from a King Arthur Flour recipe; this country-level association does not make the formula universal.
Related
More from Samoa
Masi fa‘i (Samoan fermented banana paste)
Masi fa‘i is a Western Samoan paste made by fermenting unripe banana in leaf-lined pits, later formed into loaves and baked. A secondary FAO account describes the method; no modern household batch is established.
Samoan banana masi faʻi
Masi faʻi is a Western Samoan food of unripe bananas preserved in a leaf-lined pit, later made into loaves and baked. The FAO account gives no storage conditions or validated process.
Samoan breadfruit masi
Samoan breadfruit masi is a preserved breadfruit paste kept in a leaf-lined pit, then kneaded, shaped into loaves and baked. FAO describes it at Western Samoa scale only.
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Sources
Polynesian Cultural CenterRecipe · Cultural association · Contemporary adaptation
Pani Popo A Sticky Gooey Treat From SamoaThe PCC identifies pani popo as Samoan and says its version is adapted slightly from King Arthur Flour; it distinguishes pouring sauce over the buns from versions that place rolls in sauce.
The dough and coconut sauce quantities, including the doubled sauce note, twelve-piece shaping, room-temperature first rise, second proof, sauce cook, oven temperature, baking time and internal temperature endpoint.
The cooling, airtight wrapping, refrigeration and microwave reheating instructions.
Cited in: A Samoan bun in one published version; Two rises and a separate sauce; Serving and keeping
U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSafety
Are You Storing Food Safely?Foods that require refrigeration should be refrigerated promptly; do not leave them at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour if the air is above 90°F (32°C); keep the refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C).
Centers for Disease Control and PreventionSafety
Raw Flour and DoughUncooked flour and raw eggs can carry germs; do not taste raw dough, cook it before eating, and wash hands and surfaces after handling.