Pav Buns for Pav Bhaji

This has been a long due post for me. Some of you might have seen my post on Paneer Pav Bhaji here before. The pav buns I attempted at that time looked great but were not so great to eat! They had turned out hard, probably because the water I soaked the yeast in was hotter than needed and that killed the yeast and so the bread did not turn out good.

So, I'm here redeeming myself. Tried it again and this time it turned out perfect - just the way we all love it.

For the yeast mix, you will need -

1 pack Active Dry Yeast
1 tbsp sugar
Water - about 1 1/2 cups. Microwave for about 30 secs. The water should be lukewarm and not hot. Hot water will kill the yeast. Trust me..I know. :(

Put the yeast in a bowl.

Add the tbsp of sugar to the yeast and mix well.

Now, pour the water and stir well so that all the yeast gets mixed in well.

See how that looks now? Set this out and put a lid on it. Let this sit for about 15 mins.

Look at what happened in about 15 mins. Reminds me of the saying - 15 mins can change your life! So true for the yeast!

Can you see how the little breathing holes are formed. This is directly propotional to how good your bread will turn out!

Now to make the dough, you will need -

4 cups of all purpose flour
2 1/4 cups of yeast water.( water should be half of the quantity of the flour used and a little more)
1 stick of butter ( 8tbsps)
1/2 cup of milk
salt - 1/2 tsp

Add the remaining water to the yeast and mix well once.

Put the flour in a wide plate or a wide wooden chopping block or even on your clean counter. Make a well in the middle and pour the yeast and water mix little at a time and start mixing and kneading the flour.

Get your hands dirty. Its a wonderful mess to be in!

Add the 1/2 cup of milk again a little at a time and keep kneading and forming a dough.

You will have to knead this for about 15 mins - yes, it does take time. So, punch, pull, get your frustrations out, give your arms a workout - do all you can with your hands and the flour for the next 15 mins!

When the dough starts to form a ball, add melted butter in the middle - you could also add little by little and keep kneading. If the dough gets a little too slimy, sprinkle some flour on top and keep kneading.

See its almost coming together now.

Make the ball into a smooth round and place in a mixing bowl greased with a little butter.

Cover with a damp cloth and let this rest for about 2 hrs. Are you ready to see how it looks like after 2 hrs?

How about this? The dough ball has almost tripled in size!

Punch gently a few times and let the air get out.

Fold a few more times and get ready to make balls.

Take small ball sized dough and roll with your palm and fingertips in a swirling motion. That way the base is also smooth.

Arrange the balls together - make sure that they are touching each other. Place in a baking dish that has been buttered and dusted with flour.

Cover with a damp cloth again and let this now sit for about 45 mins. They will rise a little bit more.

See I told ya - they do rise some more.

Now, place the buns in a pre heated oven at 375F. Bake for about 15-20 mins. Or until the tops start getting golden brown.

Remove and brush immediately with melted butter. I could have let it bake for a couple of more mins - but my husband scared me..he told me that if i let them too long, they might get hard again..hmm..afterthought - I think he was just hungry and could not wait any more!

There they are - my little bun babies! Lookin so cute!

Just a couple of cross section photos so you can see how they look inside!

This time, the buns were soft and flavorful ( that 1 stick of butter did not go in vain, after all)

And of course, even though the bread is just out of the oven - that cannot satisfy a bombaywala...he broke them into two and toasted them on a tava again with a brush of butter!

Here's my bhaji ready!

Serve immediately with bhaji on the side and chopped onions and a wedge of lime!

Long live our love for carbs and butter!

Enjoy! Peace Out!