Nigerian Coconut Puff puff

Nigerian Puff Puff

Nigerian puff puff is one of those pastries almost everyone seems to love. Making it well, however, can be a real challenge. Every recipe involving flour and leavening agents calls for a working understanding of the chemistry behind it, enough to know what can (and can't) be safely substituted, time after time.

I've made enough puff puff over the years to develop a few favorite variations: maple, orange, coconut, and even one where I swapped butter for oil. Every potluck and school event finds me bringing along this same tasty pastry.

My favorite version, and the one I'm sharing today, is made with coconut flakes. Before you dive in, here are a few things worth knowing if you want to successfully  replicate this recipe.

1. Flour matters. Different brands of the same flour type can behave very differently. When I traveled to Nigeria and made puff puff using my exact recipe, the result looked noticeably different. I attribute that to the flour itself.

2. Measurement is the key to consistency. Commercial puff puff makers in Nigeria measure their ingredients carefully using paints, cups and tins, but many home cooks rely on eyeballing, which is why getting it "right" can feel like luck. Cup measurements aren't perfectly precise, but they're far better than guessing. I use a kitchen scale and scale my standard recipe up or down depending on how many people the puff puff is meant for.

3. I use very little yeast, about one percent of the flour quantity. As a result, my batter often takes hours to rise and double in size. Over the years I've learned that using a small amount of yeast gives it more time to work on the batter, developing a deeper, more complex flavor than you get from a fast rise. 

These apply to whatever yeast-based pastry I make, including breads.

 I hope this somewhat detailed recipe helps guide you toward making your own at home. It's hard to say exactly how many servings this recipe makes, but it's enough to keep a family of five, including three kids, snacking happily for an entire day.

Ingredients

• 350g all-purpose flour
• 50g dried coconut flakes
• 70g granulated sugar
• 30g melted salted butter
• A pinch (1g) of salt (double this if using unsalted butter or oil)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 400ml whole milk (or any liquid of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon dried yeast
• About 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Note: If you're skipping the coconut flakes, or using more yeast for a faster rise, reduce the amount of liquid. Coconut flakes absorb some of the moisture, even more so when the yeast has longer to act on the dough. Without the flakes, cut about 100ml from the liquid.

Procedure

1. Mix the dry ingredients: flour, coconut flakes, sugar, yeast, salt, and nutmeg.
2. Add the milk and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. This produces a sticky batter.
3. Add the melted butter and mix thoroughly. (I usually melt mine by popping it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.)
4. Cover with cling film or a damp towel and let the yeast work on the batter. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on your kitchen's temperature and how much yeast you've used.
   

   

   Batter, after doubling
   
   

   
   
5. Once the batter has doubled, deflate it gently, then fry in hot oil until golden. Scoop a handful of batter, squeeze it gently to push a ball out between your thumb and index finger, and drop it into hot, neutral-tasting oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until each ball is a deep golden brown.
6. Drain on a sieve or paper towel.

Puff puff is technically a snack you can eat cold, but I think it's best enjoyed warm.