Friday, January 22, 2010

Bun

Tea time is bakery goody time. Most families in Kerala have this tradition. I suppose its the more laid back lifestyle in our state that helps us enjoy these simple pleasures even today. Around 4 in the evening the family gets together and drink a cup of tea with some fried, baked or cooked snacks. Like we have mentioned in one of our earlier posts the bakery goods are an integral part of life in Kottayam, Kerala. Puffs, samosas, meat rolls etc to name a few are enjoyed during this time.

Bakery Bun

Another favorite way to enjoy your evening is with black coffee and bun (a.k.a. rolls). This combination is sometimes thought of as a quick fix or fast snack for an evening. Grab a dozen or half of them from the bakeries and the family enjoys it with a sugary black coffee. I remember my grandmother adding some ghee (clarified butter) on top of the coffee.

Todays recipe is one of these rich rolls closely resembling the buns we get to buy in the bakeries. I remember walking past bakeries in the evening around 2.30 or 3.00 P.M and the aroma of fresh baked bread permeating the dusty roads luring the passerby. Most people give in and you will see mothers returning from office work, children, fathers, uncles and aunts or some others who make a short walk to the bakeries closest to their homes to pack away a few. The bakery goods come packed in little brown bags and I can so clearly remember them sitting on counter tops with the brown bags now dappled with the fat from whatever is inside.

There are a lot of things we can do with this same recipe as given below like make potato bun or khari bun (khari meaning spicy). Either ways, if you are bun fan like me and enjoy it dipped in black coffee, tea or soup or just cut them and spread some jam or butter, todays recipe will make you content. Its soft, rich and tasty. If you do two proofings like I have mentioned you can get quite a light airy texture.

Enjoy the experience of kneading the dough and baking these yummy buns. Let me know if you have any questions regarding the recipe or way I made it. I used Lily's light bleached flour for this batch of buns.

Ingredients:
Flour – 4 -5 cups
Dry yeast - 2 packages (1 package is 2 1/4 tsp)
Milk – 1 ½ cups 2% reduced fat milk
Water – ¼ cup
Vegetable oil - ½ cup
Granulated sugar – ¼ cup
Salt - 1 tspn

Rolls out of the oven

Method:
1. Mix ¼ cup warm water, 1/2 tspn sugar and the yeast. Make sure the temperature of water is not more than 110 D F. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes and make sure it froths before you use. This is the test to make sure you have active yeast
2. Mix together milk, oil, sugar and salt in a large bowl in which you can knead your dough. Make sure everything is at room temperature. If you are taking milk out of the refrigerator warm in microwave making sure its not too hot or it will kill the yeast.
3. Add a cup of flour and mix and the frothy yeast
4. Stirring to mix the ingredients keep adding the flour a cup at a time till you have added all 4 cups
5. If the flour is gooey and you are unable to knead with your hand add some a couple of spoons of flour at a time
6. Flour your counter top or a clean surface where you can knead your dough
7. Drop your dough on the floured surface and incorporate the flour slowly into the dough kneading well
8. Kneading will make your dough to come together. If you find the dough sticky and not manageable its ok that’s how the bread dough is.
9. The reason for asking to add dough post 4 cups is because the lesser you can add flour and get a soft dough the tastier, fluffy rolls you make
10. Test to make sure your dough is done by indenting impressions using your index finger and middle finger. If the indentation stays your dough is kneaded well
11. Take a good look at the size of your dough and leave to rise for an hour
12. Test the dough to make sure It has risen by touching it lightly on the surface. If your finger impression stays then you know it has.
13. Punch down the dough when fully risen and take the dough in your hand and slowly round it to look like a mushroom. Smooth top and the dough tucked under.
14. Leave it to rise once more around 20 minutes or until dough has doubled in size
15. You May punch down the dough at this time and round it or cut it using a knife and shape to desired shape. Round rolls or hot dog buns. Lay it on a greased cookie sheet or tray and leave it covered to double around 20 minutes
16. Bake in a 400D F preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes

Bun Collage

Notes:
Never add more flour than is called for
Beat an egg and once you have shaped the dough brush it on top (egg wash)
If you do not eat eggs you may brush it with milk or olive oil
To get a nice thin and shiny crust spread butter on the top while the rolls are still hot, fresh from the oven

65 comments:

  1. Buns look just perfect.. love the home made breads.

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  2. buns looks so soft and so professionally made

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  3. Woow...they look gorgeous and perfect sunitha!!! great picture, you're making me very hungry. I love the idea of egg wash,sounds great!I am trying this for sure and let u know..:D Thanks for sharing

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  4. Mouth watering pictures... mmmm... I can just grab it off the pic!! :):).. looks so perfect and soft!!

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  5. Beautiful buns and excellent click..

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  6. What a beautiful way to stay with realtives and friends: tea and something made with love...I'd like to do it everyday with my friends but time is never enough!

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  7. Beautiful bun... Mouthwatering pictures...

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  8. delicious and pefect mouth watering buns to have with tea or coffee.

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  9. What a delicious, light airy bun! Oh, I bet they are incredible. And the tradition of "tea" is so civilized and comforting. Especially if these types of baked goods are served.

    Great recipe and thanks...

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  10. Looks so nice in color and has come out so perfect and flaky. Just loved it.

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  11. wow this buns are damn tempting...wish i could have one:-)...nice recipe, thy r fabulous...vl taste awesome with hot cup of coffee

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  12. WOW!!!! The Bun looks perfect and soft:) and a beautiful click.
    Have a great weekend:)

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  13. wowwww...looks so gooddd..Perfect buns for tea..I will definetly try this :)

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  14. Wow Fabulous!! Home made buns are perfect for a tea time snack..

    Great entry....Clicks are equally tempting..

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  15. wow...perfect buns..wish I had some of these and a bhaji on the side..!!!!

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  16. wow........soft and delicious buns dear.....

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  17. The buns look so good. Nice post with it. I love tea time!

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  18. Oh My!!!!!That looks out of the world dear!!!!
    So perfect and yummy!!!
    Dfntly craving for a bite

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  19. They look so perfect and cute!

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  20. The buns look gorgeous...so soft and fluffy :)

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  21. Wow! soft and delicious..love to have it with a cup of tea :-)

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  22. Perfect looking breads...gr8 job

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  23. Don't we get such amazing goodies at the bakeries in Kerala, can't wait to go visit. Ur buns have come out awesome, they look so cute and perfect.

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  24. What a smooth and perfect looking bun! If you have put a cross on it, I might have sung Hot Cross bun, 1 a penny, 2 a penny, hot cross bun.

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  25. I'll have to try making these rolls!
    I also have to tell you, I made those bluebrry muffins you posted a few days ago and they came out fantastic! I made them for company and everyone took them!
    I'm going to make them again!
    Have a great weekend!

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  26. Lovely puffy bun! It's yummy and cute!

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  27. These look so professionally made..are u planning to start ur own bakery by any chance?

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  28. I love aroma of freshly baked bread. And these buns look very tempting. Can I use water instead of milk?

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  29. Thats done to perfection...such a good click and really really yummy..home made ones are the best to have anyday..

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  30. perfectly baked buns. looks so lovely and very veeeeeeeeeeeery tempting.

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  31. ohh such beautiful buns baked to perfection..and what awesome clicks. hey wanted to ask you if we use wheat flour should we use the same measurement and does it take same time?
    www.foodlyrics.com

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  32. Dear Namitha & Sunitha,
    A Wonderful blog with absolutely great pictures! The clicks looks so professional..
    Loved browsing through your blog!

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  33. WOW! What a nice bun you have baked.

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  34. Its puffy and sooooo.....spongy.Do visit my blog when time permits.http://shanthisthaligai.blogspot.com/

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  35. You've done a really nice job explaining the consistency of the dough. I really like having visual and physical markers that help me to understand when the dough is ready. I wish we had regular tea time here in the States. This whole country needs to slow down a bit.

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  36. Hey,

    The buns look really great with the perfect round shape. Seriously, I couldn't stop admiring them. Wonderful job!

    Arundhuti
    Gourmet Affair

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  37. Hi Gulmohar I would like to share an award with you, please collect it from my blog...Buns look fantastic..great pics..

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  38. A perfect shaped buns which looks soft and fluffy to be dip in hot beverage..my way of tasting this yummy bun of urs my friend:)

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  39. I would dip in my tea and start my morning! Excellent bun!

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  40. Wow, these look yummy, nice work

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  41. buninde kooda oru chaayayum koodi aavatte

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  42. Ghee on top of coffee? Crazy!

    But possibly delicious.

    These buns look fantastic. So fluffy and great egg wash color!

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  43. These rolls look so fluffy and buttery even without the use of butter!

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  44. These look so amazing,shiney and so life like I want to reach out and take one.

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  45. Your buns look delicious et they are perfect.
    BRAVO!!!!!
    See soon

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  46. Wowwww luscious buns i wonder how come you have got such a marvellous end result,they are absolutely gorgeous n iam awestruck here.Mind giving me some :P Bun with butter hmmmmmm.....my all time fav,sometimes i just look at it :)

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  47. The buns look Awesome amd Perfect...LOved reading your intro too.Looks like you had a lot of fun baking these delights.

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  48. Nice to know your name Sunitha. Nostalgia and Gulmohar never make me recognize your face but blog :)

    You said it right. People in Kerala prefer some snacks with tea. In some parts of kerala they use the words like "chayude koode kurikyan kittumo".

    I was not able to understand at first and made some other meaning. ;)

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  49. I'm a bun fan too, and all at home are total bakery fans :):)

    your buns lokk simply perfect and fluffy and airy!! your pictuures make me crave for some right now!!! terrific recipe!!!

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  50. Yeah, bakery food are so special in kerala...my hostel lease was taken by keralites...their food is so fabulous and they started serving cakes to go with our evening chai...something diff' for vadai- eaters, he he. Now I am addicted to it, anyway...

    Thee buns looks gorgeous, very professional...love it.

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  51. Soft and perfect buns...My all time fav...

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  52. Hi nami and sunitha..
    Please accept ur award from my blog

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  53. Perfect buns,dip in Tea & loves to eat

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  54. God they look fabulous!! Loved every single tip you gave to make sure we do it right! Hats off to ya gal, for your patience and efforts! I must learn a lot from you girls! Now let the aroma of bun (atleast virtually) fill my house! :D

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  55. Thats such a perfectly made buns!i love any bread with tea.....ur story is really nostalgic at times...taking me back to my olden golden times...:)

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  56. Nostalgia,,Buns looks perfect and got click.looks awesome hv to try ur version of bun soon.

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