Take a bowl and add in the warm water, sugar and the yeast. Mix well with a whisk and set aside for five minutes. The yeast will get activated and will foam up. Once the yeast has foamed up, add in the milk, milk powder, flour and the salt.

Form a dough and knead the dough by hand for a good three to four minutes. The dough will be very soft and will stick to the hands. Dust the dough with little flour while kneading. But do not add too much flour while kneading as the dough will become dry and the buns will become very hard. Resist your temptation to add flour while kneading. Do not add more two to three tablespoons of flour while kneading. The dough will come together and start to stick less after kneading.

Add in the butter and keep kneading for another three to four minutes. Once the dough is smooth, transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with a plastic wrap or a shower cap.

Let the dough rise until doubled. It will take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour depending on how humid the place you live is. Once the dough is doubled, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a flour dusted work bench. Gently deflate it and cut the dough into two pieces.

Form each dough into a tight ball. Refer to the video as to how each ball is formed. Its important that there are no cracks while forming the dough else the final bun will show these cracks. Let the balls rest for five minutes. Cover with a cloth to prevent the balls from drying.

In the mean time, make the filling for the thengai bun / coconut bun. Take a bowl and add in all the ingredients listed under filling. Mix well with a spoon to combine. Fresh shredded coconut is preferred for this recipe.
Note: Do not make the filling ahead of time as the sugar will melt and become liquid / messy. Make it when the balls are resting.

Roll the dough into an 8 to 9 inch circle. Place half of the filling and cover it completely. Crimp the edges so it does not open up while baking. Shape the ball again with your palm and gently roll to a 7 or 8 inch round. Be gentle and dont press too hard or the stuffing will pop out. (refer the video above for shaping).

Place the flattened dough on a parchment lined sheet pan. Cover with a cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes. In the mean time preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius / 400 degree Fahrenheit. Brush the buns evenly with milk. Bake the buns for 20-25 minutes. The buns should be golden brown on top. Remove the buns and brush the buns with ghee / melted butter while its still hot.

Fantastic homemade Thengai Bun | Bakery Style coconut Bun is ready. Its a fantastic after school snack for kids or makes for a picnic pick me up. It tastes good warm or cold.