Spicy buns with cumin seeds and red chilli powder

 

It had been a long, long time since i baked buns. I baked breads, but I always enjoy preparing buns more. I feel too lazy to prepare sandwiches after baking bread😔😔…… Buns are hassle free…. bake them and your breakfast is ready!!!!!!! Just prepare tea and serve, job done!!!!
This week after Holi my dear  friend Krupa suggested to have a moms’ get together before kids start writing their final exams. So we decided to have a high tea party in the evening. We didn’t decide on any menu, so everyone was free to prepare anything of their choice. Initially I was thinking to bake a tea cake, but then I thought that they all have tasted the cake, but not buns… so I baked these spicy red chilli powder and cumin seeds buns….

Did anyone like them? Well,   I brought back the bowl empty 😉 😉Happy me!!

 

Ingredients:

Maida 3 cups      (room temperature)

Milk powder     1/4th cup (room temperature)

Sugar        1/2 tbsp

Salt            1+1/2 tsp (or as per your taste)

Red chilli powder        1+1/4 tsp (or as per your taste)

Cumin  seeds (jeera)       1+1/2 tsp (or as per your taste)

Oil/butter       1+1/2 tbsp. (room temperature)

Water (or 50:50 milk + water mix)       1+1/4 cup minus 1tbsp (should be slightly more than lukewarm, but not hot)

Instant dry Yeast      1+1/4 tsp (room temperature)

Process :
Collect all dry ingredients – maida, salt, sugar, yeast (I am using instant dry yeast from Gloripan),    red chilli powder and cumin  seeds in a big vessel so that it’s easy to knead nicely.

 

Keep your water or milk + water mix (slightly more than lukewarm, but not hot) ready. (I always use milk + water mix).

 

Slowly pour water in dry ingredients and prepare a rough dough. At this stage dough would be very hard.

 

 

Now keep pouring water in small amount and keep on kneading the dough.

 

Initially kneading will be messy but slowly as elasticity will develop in maida, dough will start becoming smooth. Remember that consistency of the dough should be loose than  chapati dough.

 

 

Now add oil/butter in the dough and knead for 5 more minutes. Your total kneading time should not be less than 15 minutes.

 

 

Keep this dough in a large size oil greased bowl so that there is enough space for the dough to become double in size. Apply some oil on the dough also to avoid it  drying .Cling wrap the bowl and keep it at warm place for first proofing (till it becomes double in size).

 

 

In the meanwhile keep the baking tray ready by greasing it with oil.

First proofing takes 1 to 1+1/2 hours. My suggestion is not to follow time limit blindly. Just keep an eye on the dough. Once it is double in size, first proofing is done…..if it is summer and your kitchen is hot, proofing can happen in 50 minutes also. But during winter it might take 1+1/2 hour.

 

 

 

Dust little flour on your kitchen counter or grease it with oil and take out proofed dough and punch in gently.

 

 

 

Knead the dough gently again and prepare a log.

 

Cut the log into same sized pieces with knife.

 

 

Now grease your palms with oil and roll these pieces between your palms to prepare smooth buns. If there are cracks after rolling, just pinch and seal these cracks and roll again.

 

 

 

You will get crack free smooth bun.

 

 

Keep these smoothly sealed buns down in the greased tray and keep it for second proofing. The pinched side will have a crease or line visible – so keep that part down on the baking tray so that it is not visible. Second proofing gets over in 15 to 20 minutes.

 

 

Give milk wash to all buns and bake them in a preheated oven at 180 or 185 for 20 minutes.

 

 

 

Take the buns out from the oven and apply some butter to keep them soft.

 

 

Enjoy your warm spicy buns with your morning or evening tea/coffee, or if you want to relish them later, shift them on to a cooling rack and just before serving, warm them in microwave for 10 to 12 seconds.