Stack 2 large baking sheets of the same size (13” x 18” or larger). Line the top sheet with parchment paper. Stacking the baking sheets ensures that the bottoms of the buns won’t brown too much. (See note 5 for more information)
Take the chilled filling out of the refrigerator and divide it into 6 pieces of about 25 to 28 grams each (about 1 1/2 tablespoons). I usually use a medium cookie scoop and measure out a scant scoopful of filling for each piece.
Punch down the dough to release excess air. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, about 112 to 115 grams each. Shape the dough into an oval. Cover 5 pieces of dough with a towel while you shape the first bun.
Roll out one piece of dough until you get a rectangle of about 10 to 10.5 inches long and 4 to 4.5 inches wide. I don’t flour the surface before I roll out the dough. This way, the dough grips onto the surface as I roll it out without shrinking back significantly.
Take 1 piece of the filling and spread it over half of the rectangle (along the long edge). See photos in the blog post or the video below for reference. Pick up the side of the dough without filling and fold it over the half with the filling. You should now have a long and thin rectangle. It’s okay if the rectangle doesn’t look perfect at this stage.
Using a knife, make 2 or 3 long cuts inside the rectangle, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch border along the short side of the rectangle uncut. The border ensures that the strips are attached together, making the next step easier. By now, you should have created 3 or 4 strips inside the rectangle. It’s up to you how many cuts you want to make as I think the finished buns look very similar either way.
Grab a hold of the short ends of the dough and twist the dough a few times. Then tie the dough into a knot (see video below or photos in the blog post for reference).
Transfer the knotted dough onto the lined baking sheet. I also like to make sure that some of the coconut filling is exposed by lightly pulling apart some of the layers of the twisted bun. Continue shaping the remaining pieces of dough into buns.
Cover the knotted buns with plastic wrap and let the buns rise for an hour, until they double in size.