Name: Sourdough coconut milk bread
Prep time: 1440 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 1467 min
Ingredients: 20 grams all-purpose flour (11.7% protein); 100 grams canned coconut milk (unsweetened, full-fat); 100 grams canned coconut milk (unsweetened, full-fat); 30 grams granulated sugar; 260 grams all-purpose flour (11.7% protein); 6 grams kosher salt; 1 large egg (about 50 grams); 100 grams sourdough starter (100% hydration); Neutral oil for dough handling; 1 large egg; 15 grams water

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This sourdough coconut milk bread is soft, fluffy and incredibly tender, with a delicate coconut flavor layered over that signature tang that you only get from a slow, natural fermentation. This loaf will bring a cozy, slightly tropical twist to your usual sourdough routine.

A loaf of coconut milk bread, sliced to expose the fluffy interior.

This version took some careful testing to get just right. Coconut milk behaves a little differently in dough, but once I figured out the proper ingredient list and ratio, it creates a loaf that’s both plush and beautifully structured. The result is a loaf that’s light and pillowy, yet still sturdy enough for slicing, toasting, and everyday use.

Now, let’s walk through the ingredients, step-by-step process, and a sample baking schedule so you can plan it with ease. Or simply skip straight to the recipe card.

Ingredients and notes

You only need 6 ingredients to make this sourdough coconut milk bread. Note that this recipe does contain egg and is not vegan, but it is dairy free.

Ingredients for sourdough coconut milk bread.

Coconut milk is obviously a must-have for this coconut milk bread. I always use canned coconut milk to maximize the fat content, especially since we are not using butter in this recipe to further enrich the dough. I used Thai Kitchen organic coconut milk in this recipe.

I do use just one egg in the bread dough. I originally set out to make this recipe egg-free, similar to my eggless sourdough milk bread, but was not able to create a loaf with good structure when using 100% coconut milk. The loaves consistently turned out weak – like they were overproofed – even though I monitored them closely througout testing. I’m guessing something in the coconut milk may be interfering with gluten development. Adding an egg, which brings both structure and additional hydration, made a noticeable difference. The dough became stronger, and the final loaf baked up exactly the way I was hoping – soft, stable, and well-structured.

I typically use just 30 grams (a smidge more than 2 tablespoons) of sugar for most of my milk bread loaves. It helps with yeast activities (from your sourdough starter) since yeast feeds on sugar. It doesn’t make the bread extremely sweet, just enough to balance out the tang from the sourdough starter and long fermentation. Though, I think I wouldn’t mind this loaf being a little sweeter, the coconut flavor might benefit from it. But I would definitely refrain from reducing the amount of sugar.

I use King Arthur All Purpose Flour for this recipe. I like KA AP flour since it already has consistently higher protein content (11.7%) which is plenty good for bread baking. Though bread flour will also work. I don’t recommend store brand AP flour, most contain only 10% protein which will result in a flimsier loaf with not enough structure.

Salt is a must to enhance the flavor of your bread. Don’t omit it or the flavor will be flat. I typically use Morton kosher salt, so 6 grams of salt is about 1 teaspoon. I promise you this is not a lot, it won’t make your bread super salty.

And finally, this recipe is designed for 100% hydration sourdough starter. You just need 100 grams of ripe starter for this recipe. Prepare it, feed it as you normally do, just make sure it is at its peak when you are ready to mix the dough. You can also use a sweet starter to curb tanginess if you prefer. Similar to adding more sugar, the light coconut flavor in this loaf may benefit from a little bit less tang.

Sample baking schedule

This baking schedule was designed for a weekend bake that you can start Friday night after work in between dinner and bed time routines, and bake on Saturday afternoon/night. Or if you have a flexible work-from-home schedule, you can start the dough on a week night, and bake it the next day with minimal activities during the day so it doesn’t interfere with your work schedule and/or kids’ activity schedule.

Note that this loaf proof a little bit faster than our signature sourdough Japanese milk bread because it is slightly less “enriched” (no butter), see the slightly earlier bake time at 6:30 pm compared to 7:30 pm in the original version.

Day 1
7:00 AM	Feed your sourdough starter
7:00 PM	Scald coconut milk + make tangzhong
7:30 PM	Autolyse
8:00 PM	Knead
8:30 PM	Bulk fermentation
9:00 PM	Stretch and fold #1
9:30 PM	Stretch and fold #2
10:00 PM	Stretch and fold #3 + cold fermentation
Day 2
9:00 AM	Finish bulk fermentation at room temp
11:00 AM	Divide dough + shape into balls
11:15 AM	Shape into logs + proof
6:30 PM	Bake

Make sourdough coconut milk bread with me!

Love seeing each step in photos? Follow along visually as we walk through this recipe step-by-step, take note of the suggested time stamp for each step. Otherwise, you can skip ahead, detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.

Day 1

My sourdough starter typically peaks within 12 hours, so I will make sure to feed it in the morning (around 7-8 am ish) if I know I’m going to start a batch of dough at night (around 7 pm ish). So make sure you build this into your schedule to ensure your starter peaks at the right time.

Pouring coconut milk mixture into a metal mixing bowl.

1. Scald the milk (7 pm)

Heat coconut milk with sugar until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is simmering. Transfer the mixture to your stand mixer bowl to cool – this will take about 20 minutes or so.

Coconut milk tangzhong cooling on a plate.

2. Make the tangzhong immediately

Using the same saucepan without washing, cook coconut milk with flour to make the tangzhong. Transfer it to a plate and spread into a thin layer to cool.

Flour, coconut and egg in a mixing bowl. Everything is mixed together.

3. “Autolyse” (7:30 pm)

Mix together flour, salt, cooled coconut milk mixture, and a lightly beaten egg, cover and let this rest for 15-20 minutes.

NOTE: This is not a true autolyse since we are adding egg as well as salt to the mixture. However, I do find that this step, while short and non-traditional, helps with dough strength and extensibility in the stretch-and-fold steps.

Tangzhong and sourdough starter are on top of autolyse dough. The coconut milk bread dough is mixed and stuck on the dough hook.

4. Knead the dough (~8 pm)

Add coconut tangzhong and sourdough starter and knead with the dough hook for 20 minutes.

5. Start bulk fermentation (~8:30 pm)

Use a bit of oil on your hand and your bowl scraper to prevent sticking and scrape the dough out of your mixing bowl. Form a smooth ball on a clean countertop or on top of a silicone liner. Oil your mixing bowl before putting the dough back into it. You can also choose to use a new clean bowl for your bulk fermentation.

Collage of 6 photos showing stretching and folding sourdough milk bread dough.

6. Stretches and folds (9, 9:30, 10 pm)

During bulk fermentation, you will perform 3 sets of stretch-and-fold to add strength to your dough at 30-minute intervals. Once you are finish with your last set, cover and refrigerate overnight.

NOTE: If you’re short on time, I would do 2 at the minimum. And if you forget to set your timer, it’s okay if the time between sets is longer than 30 minutes. I’ve let the dough sit for more than an hour when I need to go pick up kids in between sets. Do what works for your schedule.

Day 2

Remove your dough from the fridge to let it come to room temperature. It likely hasn’t doubled in size yet but should have grown overnight. The time line is flexible here, depending on what I have going on in the morning. I would typically let it sit on the counter for about 2 hours to finish rising while I do my morning chores, take care of the dogs’ needs, make breakfast for kids, etc. Then I would start dividing and shaping. But if you need to go somewhere early, you can divide and shape it right away while the dough is cold. Your proofing period would just be longer.

1. Divide the dough (11 am)

Cut the dough into 3 equal portions. Roll them into smooth balls, cover and let rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the gluten to relax before shaping.

NOTE: The dough shouldn’t be very sticky anymore. You can use just a bit of flour or a bit of oil to keep it from sticking to your surface and hand. I love using a silicone baking mat for this part.

Collage of 5 photos showing the process of shaping the dough.

2. Shape into logs (11:15 am)

Shape each ball into a log like so and place them into your loaf pan.

Dough in loaf pan before and after proofing.

3. Proof the dough (~11:20 am)

Proof the dough for 6 – 7 hours. The dough is ready when it is very puffy, has risen well above the rim of the loaf pan, and a gentle press leaves an indentation that slowly springs back (but not immediately).

NOTE: You can proof your dough inside your oven with the light turn on and a pan of hot water at the bottom of the oven to keep it warm and humid. Or place your loaf pan inside a 6-quart storage bin with a small tin of water as a make-shift proofing box. Proofing time is highly dependent on temperature so make sure to pay attention to visual cues.

Add egg wash to dough and bake until golden.

4. Bake (6:30 pm)

Brush egg wash generously over the surface of your dough and bake at 400°F (205°C) for 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for another 20 minutes. Total bake time is about 27 minutes. The internal temperature of your bread should reach 190 – 200°F. Let cool before cutting into it.

NOTE: You want to bake your bread at 400°F briefly to give it some oven spring helping it rise taller during the first few minutes. And then bake it at a lower temperature to completely cook the inside.

Storage

Room temperature: you can store milk bread at room temperature for a couple days. Only slice off whatever you’re planning to eat to keep the moisture within the loaf. Store the bread in a ziploc bag. Since this loaf is homemade with no preservatives, I tend to keep it refrigerated to prevent spoiling.
Refrigerator: you can keep your milk bread in the fridge for a couple weeks. Again, only slice what you need and keep it in a ziploc bag. It does dry out a bit the longer you store it, but it’s easily revived in the toaster.
Freezer: for the freezer, I recommend slicing and then freezing. This way you can defrost only what you need when you need. Your bread should last up to 3 months. To preserve the flavor, wrap the loaf in foil as well as plastic and then store in a freezer bag.