My experiments with yeast so far have not been brilliant, except for my pizza dough which, I believe, is quite foolproof. My fear of yeast keeps me from baking bread more often that I would have liked. But thankfully I’ve started to conquer that. All thanks to my refusal to admit defeat and my steady success with yeast fermentation 🙂
I was quite ecstatic [almost jumping with joy] when my macatias turn out soft and fluffy and the closest to perfection I’ve achieved in recent times. Wikipedia attributes the origin of macatia to our neighbour île de La Réunion. I guess Mauritians borrowed the recipe and added the characteristic coconut filling renaming it as macatia coco.
We used to have a marsan macatia[macatia seller] who would come at full speed on his old motorcycle, shouting ‘maaacatiaaaa cocooooooo’ as loud as he could so that his voice got carried several blocks away. You could always hear him coming and thus had time to grab a Rs5 coin and a plate before he finally came up to your door. If you were a regular, the marsan would slow down [or stop] near your house while blowing his bike horn for all it’s worth.
Our local marsan no longer does his daily 14:00 to 15:00 rounds. We have another one who comes on and off but his macatia coco lacks that special something. I therefore decided to give the famous sweet bun a try after I found a recipe on Recipes from Mauritius. It yielded dense floury chunks of cooked dough that went stale within hours. What wentwrong with the process of yeast multiplication? I had no idea since I was still teaching myself how to grow the fungus. You simply have to keep it from dying before it gives enough rise to your breads and buns, that is during proving.
But dnt worry. It’s all very scientific. You simply have to get your type of yeast and working temperatures right. Read more about yeast in baking here, here and here. Hope they help you get your macatias right. It sure inspires me to foray further into bread baking 😉
Btw my macatia coco also had the stamp of approval of the family since half of my lil coconut filled sweet buns were gone within minutes of being out of the oven. I therefore [enthusiatically] encourage you to give this a try. The recipe is a really old one I wrote down in my high school days and I’m sorry to be unable to provide a source for it. Only wish I had tried it well before!
MACATIA COCO
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour
1 sachet [10g] instant yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 tbs milk powder
3 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
Method:
-
Take 1 part boiling water and 3 parts tap water to make 1 cup. This would roughly equal the temperature of lukewarm water.
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Dissolve milk powder in this water and stir in butter until it melts.
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In a large bowl, place 1/4 cup lukewarm water [make it as in step1]. Stir in sugar and yeast. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes until frothy.
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I used a sachet of Anchor Instant Yeast which worked beautifully.
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Then add milk-butter mixture and salt to yeast suspension.
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Gradually add flour to yeast mixture, 1/2 cup at a time.
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Fold in until you have a loose sticky ball of dough.
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Turn dough onto floured surface and knead well for 10-15 minutes.
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This may be difficult as dough is quite sticky but dnt be tempted to add more flour as it will make the resulting bread kinda tough.
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Instead of adding extra flour, dust your hands with flour at regular intervals and go back to the kneading business with more energy.
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It might be easier and less messy if you mix the ingredients in a dough hook mixer and do the final kneading by hand.
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Dump the dough in a lightly oiled bowl [the one you used for mixing above] and cover with clingfilm or damp towel.
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Forget about it for 1 1/2 hours. I left mine out in the sun today as we hardly had any wind and it proved nicely in less than an hour 🙂
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By 1 1/2hours, your dough should have doubled to twice its original volume. Dump it back on your work surface and oil your palms lightly
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Stretch dough into a rectangle of about 12×18 inches.
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Meanwhile heat oven at 50 oC for 5 minutes, then switch off.
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With a sharp knife, cut dough into 12 equal portions.
- In a small bowl, combine coconut with 2 tbs sugar and 3 tbs water.
- Place 1/2 tbs coconut filling in centre of each dough portion.
- Pinch edges together to enclose filling and gently roll into a ball.
- Place dough balls side by side on a lined baking tray.
- Keep tray in preheated oven [which should still be warm, not hot].
- Leave dough uncovered inside oven until doubled in volume.
- This takes roughly about 30 minutes and dough balls will expand and stick to each other like dinner rolls. Remove from oven.
- Set oven temperature to 350oF while you brush dough with a thin milk glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds or chopped nuts.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until macatia coco turns golden.
- They should sound hollow when you tap them with a finger.
- Remove from pan and cool on wire rack to prevent steam from condensing at the bottom and making them ugly and soggy.
- Serve warm with a dollop of butter at tea time.
I stored them individually wrapped in clingfilm and packed in an airtight jar. Their sugar content is rather low but I hope they keep till tomorrow’s breakfast. They are divine with a steaming cup of Corson’s Earl Grey.
37 comments
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March 15, 2010 at 9:24 pm
No Knead Bread by the Sullivan Street Bakery & Mark Bittman, The New York Times | World online health review
[…] Macatia Coco – Coconut Filled Sweet Buns « Heaven on a Spoon […]
March 16, 2010 at 2:12 am
trinurhani
yummy yummy delicous,
thanks for your idea
greeting from Indonesia
March 16, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Janice
Thank you sooo much for such detailed recipe!Friday last i tried, after google-ing for buns recipe, to bake some. In fact i wanted to do hamburger/hotdog buns but macatia coco style…:) i.e replacing the coco by some other ingredients like in pow…
The result was….uh let’s say from the point of view of experienced level cook you are: a catastrophy!!!
While the outside looked almost presentable, the inside was thick &raw, way too much flour i guess…..
i’ll try doing then again but your way!!:)
Cheers!!
March 16, 2010 at 7:07 pm
prerrnamirchi
Hope you have better luck with your buns this time Janice! I guess you can use whichever filling you like but keep it light and just a tad moist so that it does not interfere with the second rise. Or you can skip the filling for a fancy topping. Which recipe did you use for your 1st attempt? I’d like to experiment and see if it works for me 🙂 Tcare
March 17, 2010 at 2:51 am
ariellandi
awesome! I am going to make these with soy milk powder and part whole wheat flour and see how they turn out.
March 17, 2010 at 9:52 am
Carine
Waoh, faire mari longtemps mo pas finne manz macatia coco!!
March 18, 2010 at 6:47 am
Janice
The first time i tried baking buns:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/40-Minute-Hamburger-Buns
Lol you could just kill someone with them…they were hard like rock!!
On friday i used this one recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Burger-or-Hot-Dog-Buns/Detail.aspx
A little better than the first trial, i baked them 10 mins more when
i found they were raw inside…but overall heavy & dry and a pronounced taste of milk 😦
March 18, 2010 at 12:20 pm
prerrnamirchi
I’m really impressed by your determination to get these buns right 🙂
March 21, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Isabelle
This bread looks wonderful! I love coconut so I will have to try this. I don’t have a lot of experience with yeast (I’ve only made brioche and cinnamon rolls before) but hopefully I can make this right!
March 22, 2010 at 4:40 am
prerrnamirchi
Hi Isabelle, I guess you’ll find these buns pretty easy since you’ve worked with brioche and rolls before. Your step-by-step illustrated tutorial on making brioche is great and btw yours is the 100th comment on my blog. Thank you!
September 1, 2010 at 8:08 pm
SANDRA
I absolutely love your site,and thanks so much for the receipe for makatia coco.This is exactly what I have been searching for.I am also looking for traditional poutou recipe frpm Mauritius.I have just bought the traditional steamer,but am having a few probs using it correctly.
Many thanks.Have a look at my website on Mauritian products.
September 15, 2010 at 3:17 pm
prerrnamirchi
thank you sandra! i’ve never made traditional poutou before. had no idea that it required a special kinda steamer so i wnt be of much help when it comes to advising you on how to use one 😦 Great site btw! hope to see more recipes on your blog. tc
November 13, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Fabrice
Wow thanks!
“macatiaa enaaaa coco!”
Honk honk honk!
Fabrice from Bristol Uk
November 30, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Macatia Coco – Coconut Filled Sweet Buns | Bites Of Sweet And Spice
[…] I’m sure these need no introduction to some of you. I was glad when I found the recipe on Inspired to Bake since I had never heard of anyone baking these at […]
June 4, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Musarrat
Tried the recipe today, turned out DE-LI-CIOUS 😀 Thank u 🙂
August 6, 2012 at 5:59 am
cheryl
hi would like to try the macatia coco receipt but what is it in g for 1 cup ??
August 6, 2012 at 2:25 pm
prerrnamirchi
hello cheryl, i’ll try to get u the measurements in grams:
400 – 425 g all purpose or bread flour
10 g instant yeast
60 ml lukewarm water
3 tbs milk powder
75 g unsalted butter
2 tbs granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
60 g dessicated coconut
Remember that the art of cooking is not a precise one.
I think you’ll be fine even you dnt stick 100% to the recipe.
Cheers!
June 16, 2019 at 12:14 am
Diana
3 tbs or 75 grams unsalted butter?
February 9, 2013 at 3:23 am
Nanda
I made the macatia today..turned out nice.Thanks
May 9, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Jennyfer Tatteea
I JUST LOVE YOU ….your blog is such a comfort for us Mauritian living abroad …..i have tried a few of your recipes and always succeeded,but today i come across Macatia and Piaow ….5 years ago when i was pregnant i had cravings about piaow checked everywhere but coudn’t find it ….you have simply made my day ,i am definitely trying them over the week end !!!
Thank you so much for your dedication and your hard work …respect!!!
Jennyfer Tatteea
May 9, 2013 at 4:44 pm
prerrnamirchi
Thanks for the kind words Jennyfer! Means a lot to me 🙂
June 4, 2013 at 1:02 pm
Marycy Merle
Hi, I’m from Melbourne Australia. – Just tried the Macatia Coco today but unfortunately didn’t turned the way it should be. I will try again and hope i’ll get better result. Thank you so much. Marycy
June 4, 2013 at 3:58 pm
prerrnamirchi
Hi Marycy, what went wrong? I do hope it turns out well next time.
June 5, 2013 at 6:27 am
Marycy Merle
Just for a try, i’ve cut all the measurement in half. Do u think its the reason?
June 5, 2013 at 4:56 pm
prerrnamirchi
could be one of the reasons marycy, downscaling the proportion of ingredients for bread recipes might not work well. other variables are room temperature and temp of water used; these determine the rate of growth of yeast in bread dough.
January 12, 2014 at 6:34 pm
muslimars
Just a friendly tip, to get your dough to rise perfectly all you have to do is place it in the right environment. While you’re getting your dough ready just turn on your oven to 200 and place a bowl of water in it. Take the bowl of water out and turn off the oven when you’ve done kneading your dough and leave it in the oven for an hour, covered with a clean towel. You should get a perfect dough every time 🙂
January 13, 2014 at 11:03 am
prerrnamirchi
thnx for the tip 🙂
March 19, 2014 at 10:20 pm
prerrnamirchi
Hi I am a mauritian that is doing a project on mauritian cooking and I was wondering if I could contact you. Is there any way I could have your email address?
March 29, 2014 at 3:58 pm
prerrnamirchi
Hi Joelle, u can contact me on inspiredtobake@yahoo.com 🙂
April 9, 2014 at 4:50 am
zainab
I’ll surely try it
I’ve tried sme of ur recipes all cme out gud especially z naan
May 25, 2015 at 1:53 pm
Mauritius | Food from Different Countries
[…] Recipe from https://inspiredtobake.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/macatia-coco-coconut-filled-sweet-buns/ […]
November 9, 2015 at 3:39 pm
Jennyfer
I am so glad I found this recipe. I am Mauritian but grew up in US, I remember eating those delightful little rolls when I was little and want to give a treat to my kiddos, can’t wait to try baking those. Thanks for the recipe.
November 9, 2015 at 7:45 pm
prerrnamirchi
Thank you Jennyfer! I’m sure your little ones will love it 🙂
May 24, 2016 at 12:59 am
Prabha
I tried these today. Turned out alright. Was a little disappointed that they did not poof up as much. They went a little flat. Everything was fine until I put the milk glaze. They deflated a little bit and did not recover during baking. Taste great though. I put chocolate chips with the coconut and sugar. Wish I could post a picture to get your opinion(s). Any idea why it would deflate? Thanks.
May 29, 2016 at 4:07 pm
prerrnamirchi
Hi Prabha. I think the temperature at which they were left to prove was not as warm as it would have been on a summer day. I usually keep in bread dough on a warm pan of water that has been boiled [with the heat off!] in winter to make sure that the yeast get enough warmth to act. Otherwise you can also keep it in your oven with the light on. Hope your buns get to keep their shape next time 🙂
March 22, 2017 at 6:57 pm
Mauritian
Hello bonzour, Mone bien kontan ki kan Mone type ‘macatia coco’ lor google mo trouvé ki le not li repertorié. Mo kontan ki Dan mo landroit ena ene marsan macatia ki touzour présent. Li sorti St Hubert pou vin Ziska Dan les haut pou amen macatia soso et fondant.
April 9, 2020 at 4:52 pm
Deepa
I tried the recipe today.. unfortunately, it was too sticky and sooo messy!! I had to throw the white thing away.. I dont think I’m going to try it again..