I always enjoy baking buns, whether spicy, plain, flavored or stuffed. Whole house has a wonderful aroma during baking and the moment buns are out of oven, I feel like preparing a hot cup of ginger tea to accompany them and give myself a treat.š® This time I decided to mix two flours wheat and maida together and bake pav buns .
If buns are flavored, Apoorva is very happy to have them as her evening snack.
Last year when my inlaws had come to stay with us, my mother-in-law had requested me to prepare pav bhaji for my father-in-law, but somehow I couldn’t , though I packed for themĀ carom seeds flavored buns when they were going back.
This year when my in-laws came to stay with us, I was determined to prepare pav bhaji for them, and the very next day after they arrived, I did and they liked a lot !!!!!!
I prepared buns with half wheat flour and half maida. If anyone wants to try buns for the first time, this recipe is very easy to follow….
Ingredients :
(all ingredients except water+milk mix should be used at room temperature)
Maida 1+1/2cup
Wheat flour 1+1/2cup
Milk powder 1/4cup
Sugar 2tbsp
Salt 1+1/2tsp
Yeast 1+1/2tsp
Oil/butter 1+1/2 tbsp
Milk+water 2 cups minus 2 tbsp
NotesĀ :
- Ā To knead the dough only water can be used. I prefer using half water and half milk. It helps to keep the bread/buns soft longer.
- Ā Absorbing liquid quality of flour is different for everyone. So don’t follow blindly the quantity of water or water +milk mix given in the recipe.
- For first proofing people are generally confused if the dough has doubled or not. My personal simple way to solve this problem is to select a vessel which you think is the exact fit for doubled up dough volume.
Process :
Take a big, wide vessel and add maida, wheat flour, salt, sugar, milk powder and yeast in it.
Keep your milk + water mix ready. It’s temperature should be tolerable to touch, which means it should be slightly more than lukewarm but not hot.Don’t add whole liquid in the flour mix. Slowly start pouring liquid in the flour and start binding all flour together. Once flour comes together, it will be dry.
Now keep on adding liquid and start kneading the dough. Remember, dough consistency should be little more wet and sticky than chapati dough.
Kneading for the first 8-10 minutes will be a messy task, but after 10 minutes, start adding oil /butter and knead for 5-7 minutes more. Your palms and fingers will be clean now and messy dough will turn smooth.
Grease a bowl with oil and keep the dough in it. Apply oil on top of the dough to avoid it drying and cling wrap the vessel for first proofing.
(Always take a bigger vessel to keep the dough for proofing so that there is sufficient space for the dough to become double in volume).
Keep the vessel at a warm place for proofing. I always keep it inside my microwave (switched off).
First proofing takes one to one and a half hour depending on the temperature of your kitchen. During summer it gets proofed within 50 to 60 minutes, but during winter it might take long.
While dough is proofing, grease the baking tray and keep it ready.
Once dough is double in volume, first proofing is over.
Apply little oil on clean kitchen top and take out the dough and punch it slightly.
Shape the dough in the form of log and cut it into equal size and roll all buns smoothly.(To get smooth shaped buns, please take a look atTea time Wheat Flour Buns with pizza spices ).
Place all the buns into ready greased tray/pan and apply oil on them to avoid drying
Ā Cover the baking tray with another larger sized vessel. I don’t cover the buns for second proofing. After brushing them with oil I just keep the tray in microwave (switched off) for 10 to 15 minutes.
Just ten minutes before baking preheat oven at 185 degrees. Second proofing gets over in 10-20 minutes. If you are baking buns in large quantities, they start getting proofed while you are preparing , so 10 minutes are sufficient to proof.
Give a milk wash to all the buns and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Baking temperature is different for all ovens so bake according to the set temperature of your oven.
Apply some salted butter on baked buns for good shine and to keep them soft longer.
After 5 minutes transfer them on a cooling rack. You can’t beat the taste of homebaked fresh warm buns. Or if you want to use them later, just warm them in microwave – they will be as soft as freshly baked.
