“Makachaaa kokooooo”. This might just be the ultimate trip down memory lane for any child who grew up in Mauritius up to the 1990’s. With our quick and easy recipe, you can make your own delicious Makacha Koko at home. Read on to learn more about this traditional Mauritian snack.
INGREDIENTS
11
RECIPE STEPS
8
TOTAL TIME
2 h
Why You Need This Recipe
- This is an authentic recipe with no substitutions to make your childhood-favourite soft, coconut-filled buns
- Easy recipe to make creamy, milky bun from scratch
- Substitute the coconut filling with a filling of your choice for a completely different bun
About Makacha Koko
Makacha Koko is a soft sweet bun with a coconut filling that reminds every Mauritian native of their childhood. Our earliest memories are ones of chasing down the Makacha seller on his vintage motorcycle.
His sing-song “Makachaaa kokooooo” (Coconut Makacha) or “Makaachaaaa pena kokooooo” (Plain Makacha without coconut) reverberating down the street would alert us to come out and buy this delicious afternoon snack. If there were any buns left by the time we got home, we would enjoy them with a warm cup of tea.
Star Ingredient
Desiccated Coconut (Koko Sek)
There are few fruits that are more deeply entrenched in Mauritian cuisine than coconut. Originally from south-east Asia, coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). It is smooth and light green or orange in colour when unripe. Then it turns brown and is covered with a thick layer of brown ligneous fibres surrounding the nut when ripe.
READ MORE: How you make desiccated coconut from fresh coconuts →
Other Ingredients
- Butter
- Milk, warm
- Plain Flour (also known as All-Purpose Flour)
- Caster Sugar
- Yeast
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
Scroll to the bottom to find the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe.
Prepping Tips
If you are short on time, make both the dough and the coconut filling ahead of time. The dough can rise in the fridge overnight, and the coconut filling can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days
Complete Recipe Steps
Here’s a summary of the steps you need to follow to make Makacha Koko.
1
To make the dough, heat the butter in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds to soften it and then add to the warm milk. Mix to combine the two ingredients and set aside.
2
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients for the dough (flour, salt, sugar and yeast). Add the milk mixture and use the dough hook to knead until just combined. Alternatively, you can use a regular bowl and knead by hand. Get ready for a workout!
Scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card
3
Add the eggs to the mixture and continue kneading until you get a smooth dough. At this point, I like to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and shape the dough into a tight ball.
4
5
6
7
8
How to Serve Makacha Koko
Makacha Koko is best served warm out of the oven with a steaming mug of black tea.
You can store any leftover Makacha Koko in the fridge in an airtight container but should be eaten within 3 days. Heat them up in the microwave for a minute before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Why is my bun so dense?
The one hour rise time in the recipe is a guide because it depends on the temperature in your kitchen. I always like to look at my dough to confirm if it’s ready. Your dough should have doubled in size after allowing it to rise. If it is cold in your kitchen, you don’t have to be strict with the hour. Give it more time to rise for a fluffier, softer bun.
Can I make the bun dough ahead of time?
You certainly can! Make the dough the night before and instead of leaving it in a bowl to rise for one hour, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rise very slowly in the fridge. This actually allows the dough to develop a more intense flavour.
Printable Recipe Card
Makacha Koko
Equipment
- stand mixer with dough hook
Ingredients
Dough
- 75 g butter softened
- 200 ml milk warm
- 500 g flour sifted
- ½ tsp salt
- 90 g caster sugar
- 7 g yeast active
- 2 eggs
Filling
- 40 g desiccated coconut
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 tbsp water
Complete Recipe Steps
- To make the dough, heat the butter in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds to soften it and then add to the warm milk. Mix to combine the two ingredients and set aside.75 g butter, 200 ml milk
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients for the dough (flour, salt, sugar and yeast). Add the milk mixture and use the dough hook to knead until just combined. Alternatively, you can use a regular bowl and knead by hand. Get ready for a workout!500 g flour, ½ tsp salt, 90 g caster sugar, 7 g yeast
- Add the eggs to the mixture and continue kneading until you get a smooth dough. At this point, I like to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and shape the dough into a tight ball.2 eggs
- Place the ball of dough into a floured bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise for approximately one hour.
- To make the coconut filling, combine the coconut, sugar, vanilla extract and water in a medium saucepan. Cook the mixture over a low heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture has the texture of a thick paste, remove from the heat and set aside in a bowl to cool.40 g desiccated coconut, 60 g caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 5 tbsp water
- Sprinkle a handful of flour on a clean bench, then roll the dough and cut into 10 even pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball in your hands, then flatten each piece to get a circle. Put one teaspoon of coconut mixture in the centre and fold the edges towards the centre to close. Pinch the edges together with your fingers and lightly roll into a round shape.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the buns, seam down, onto the tray with a 2-3 cm gap between the buns to allow them space to expand. Cover the buns with a cloth and allow to stand for one hour. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Brush the buns with milk, then bake for 12 minutes until they are golden.
- Allow the buns to cool and enjoy with a cup of hot tea for breakfast or lunch.
Notes
- If you are using a stand mixer, mix the dough on a low speed until the loose flour is mostly incorporated. Then, increase to a high speed and mix for 8 minutes. Turn the dough onto a floured bench and knead a few times before leaving to rise for one hour
- Depending on your climate, your dough may take longer than one hour to rise. As a guide, the dough should have doubled in size. If it is cold in your kitchen, give it more time to rise otherwise you may get a dense bun dough.
- You can use your scale to weigh out each piece of dough to get even sized buns
Revives old good memories. Like having a bite now and then.