Sol Canyon Kitchen Coconut Custard Buns
Yield: 16 bun (about 68 g each)
This recipe is 100% plant-based
I first discovered this loaf while wandering through Joshua Tree, immersed in the quiet and the wide-open beauty of the desert. I stopped into a small, local market — the kind that feels more like a gathering place than a store — and there it was.
A simple loaf on the shelf, yet something about it stopped me. It looked wholesome, grounding, and deeply nourishing just by its presence alone. I didn’t need a label or a promise. I knew I wanted it.
I loved it so much that when I returned home, I tried to recreate it — working only from the ingredient list and my own intuition. It took many attempts, small adjustments, and a lot of listening to the feel of the batter, but eventually I found my way to the version you see here.
Later, this style of loaf became mainstream and wildly popular, shared everywhere and celebrated widely — though not through my recipe. That doesn’t diminish what this loaf means to me. For me, it will always be tied to that moment of discovery, to slowing down, to nourishment that feels honest and unforced.
This is a loaf I return to when I want food to feel steady, simple, and alive.
Ingredients
Dough
- 475 g all-purpose flour (≈11.5% protein)
- 150 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 240 g soy milk, room temperature
- 40 g plain vegan yogurt
- 120 g vegan butter, softened
- 90 g cane sugar
- 8 g salt
- 5 g green cardamom seeds, freshly ground, slightly coarse
Sol Canyon Pastry Cream
- 380 g soy milk
- Cashew cream: 25 g raw cashews + 50 g water (blend completely smooth, yields ~70 g)
- 20 g coconut cream (fat only from the top of a chilled can)
- 95–100 g sugar
- 40–42 g cornstarch
- 55 g vegan butter
- 2 g salt
- 1–1½ Tbsp plain vegan yogurt
- Optional: tiny scraping of vanilla bean
For Finishing
Brush (before baking)
- 2–3 Tbsp soy milk
- 1 tsp maple syrup (just a drizzle)
Glaze (after baking — improved for stickiness)
- 60 g sugar
- 40 g water
- pinch of salt
This slightly higher sugar ratio gives a stickier glaze so the coconut actually holds.
Coating
- 1½–2 cups shredded coconut
Method
1. Mix the Dough
In an Ankarsrum or Bosch mixer:
Combine:
- flour
- soy milk
- sourdough starter
- sugar
- yogurt
Mix just until a rough dough forms.
Rest 20 minutes.
2. Add Salt
Add salt and mix 1–2 minutes only.
The dough may tighten or form a ball.
This is normal. Do not try to fully develop it at this stage.
3. Add Butter + Develop
Add softened butter gradually.
Continue mixing until the dough becomes:
- smooth
- elastic
- soft but strong
- able to stretch thin without tearing
This is where the dough fully develops.
Expect ~10–15 minutes once butter is added (Ankarsrum/Bosch)
4. Bulk Fermentation
Let dough rest 5–6 hours at 75–78°F.
Look for:
- slight puffing
- ~30–40% rise
- soft, airy feel
Do not wait for doubling.
5. Refrigerate
Lightly shape into a smooth ball.
Refrigerate overnight.
6. Make the Pastry Cream
Blend cashews and water until completely smooth and pourable.
In a saucepan, combine:
- soy milk
- cashew cream
- coconut cream
- sugar
- salt
Heat until steaming.
Whisk cornstarch with a small amount of the warm liquid to make a smooth slurry, then return to the pot
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick.
Once thickened, cook 1–2 minutes more.
Remove from heat. Add:
- butter
- yogurt
- optional vanilla
Whisk until smooth and glossy.
Blend (or whisk very vigorously) for 10–15 seconds to fully emulsify and smooth the texture.
Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and cool.
7. Divide and Shape
Turn the cold dough onto the bench.
Divide into 14–16 pieces (~68 g each).
Shape each piece into a tight, round ball with a smooth surface.
*Avoid overworking—the dough should feel soft and alive, not tight.
8. Proof
Cover lightly and let rise at room temperature ~4–5 hours.
Look for:
- slight puffing
- soft feel
- gentle spring when touched
Not doubled.
9. Create Wells
Press the center of each bun gently.
Wait a few seconds, then press again more deeply.
Leave a thick outer ring.
Do not flatten the bun.
*The well should be deep enough to hold filling, while the outer ring remains thick and supportive
10. Fill
Stir pastry cream until smooth.
Fill each bun with 1½–2 Tbsp, (about 25–30 g), keeping the custard below the rim.
11. Brush
Brush dough edges lightly with:
- soy milk
- a small drizzle of maple syrup
Avoid the custard center.
12. Bake
Bake at 405°F for 16–17 minutes total.
- Bake normally for ~12 minutes
- Finish with convection for the last 3–4 minutes
Buns should be lightly golden with set custard.
Do not overbake.
13. Glaze + Coconut
The glaze should feel slightly sticky, not watery—this helps the coconut adhere
Let buns rest 2–3 minutes.
Brush with glaze while still warm.
Roll gently in coconut to coat.
Notes
Dough Development
Do not fully develop the dough before adding butter.
The dough may tighten after adding salt—this is expected.
Full development happens during the butter stage.
Dough Feel
Before the butter is fully incorporated, the dough may feel tighter than expected.
This is normal—do not try to correct it early.
The dough will soften and become extensible as the butter is worked in.
Mixer Guidance
Best made in:
- Ankarsrum
- Bosch
KitchenAid mixers may require longer mixing and can struggle with this dough.
Cardamom
5 g is ideal.
It may seem subtle before baking, but deepens once paired with the richer custard.
Avoid increasing until custard is finalized.
Pastry Cream Texture
Finished custard should be:
- opaque
- smooth
- creamy (not gel-like)
- soft set
If too firm → reduce cornstarch slightly next time.
Coconut Adhesion
Use a slightly thicker glaze (higher sugar ratio).
Glaze while buns are warm—not hot, not cool—for best adhesion.
Rolling gives better coverage than sprinkling.
Bottom Texture
These buns are soft—not caramelized.
They do not develop a chewy base like cardamom buns without a sugar-butter filling.
Flavor Direction
This is a milk-forward custard.
Future variations can include:
- almond
- citrus
- deeper coconut
Vanilla is optional and should remain subtle.
Storage
Best the day they are made.
Still good the next morning, gently warmed.
Final thought
These aren’t meant to be perfect.
They’re meant to feel:
soft, warm, slightly irregular—
and quietly generous.
Instant Yeast Option (Same-Day Version)
If you prefer a same-day version, you can replace the sourdough starter with instant yeast.
Adjust the dough:
- Omit sourdough starter
- Add 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
- Reduce soy milk from 240 g → 210 g
Adjust fermentation:
- After mixing, let the dough rise 1–1½ hours, until slightly puffy
- Shape as directed
- Proof shaped buns 1½–2 hours, until soft and lightly risen
Then continue with the same shaping, filling, and baking steps as written above.
.
This is the kind of food that nourishes quietly.
It asks us to slow down,
to listen,
and to remember what is enough.