Ingredients

3 cups

all-purpose flour

1 tsp.

instant yeast

1/4 tsp.

baking powder

1 1/2 tsp.

salt

1 tsp.

sugar

4 tbsp

oil plus 1 tbsp. butter

water and milk

(half and half)

First, sieve the flour and add the salt, sugar baking powder, yeast, oil and butter. Heat the water/milk to lukewarm (very hot water will kill the yeast). Add the water gradually into the flour whilst kneading until you have a soft but firm dough. Knead the dough, pounding it as much as you can to give the buns a delicately soft texture. The more you knead the better the result.

Put the dough into a lightly-oiled spacious bowl and turn it over in the bowl once so that the little oil covers the dough all over. Cover the bowl with a damp warm towel and let the dough rise for about half an hour to 45 mins.

Once risen, punch down, then knead it again for 2-3mins. Make into about 14 balls. Roll out each ball into a circle. Place your mixture in the center, then ball it up and seal. Place the formed buns on an oiled tray with the seam underneath, apply egg-wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds then bake at 170 C for about 10-12 mins. I dab a bit of butter on the buns when they r straight out of the oven, then cover them with a cloth so they get soft

Savoury Chicken-Filled Croissants

An experiment that worked out great!! The buns were soft and delicate, a perfect compliment to the yummy filling in the center! And without all that butter that goes in regular croissants too!!!

Ingredients for filling

250 gm

boneless chicken breast, chopped into small pieces

2

small capsicum, red and green if possible, grated or chopped finely

2 tbsp.

sweet corn

1 grated

carrot

1

small onion

(finely chopped)

1-2

green chillies

(chopped)

1/2 tsp.

garlic paste

1 tsp.

chopped coriander

salt to taste

1/2 tsp.

ground cumin powder

pinch of tandoori masala

(optional)

juice of half a lemon

1 tsp.

soya sauce

1 tbsp.

butter

Ingredients for dough

2 cups

all-purpose flour/maida

1 tsp.

salt

1 tsp.

sugar

1/2 tsp.

instant yeast

1/4 tsp.

baking powder

3 tbsp.

softened butter

2 tbsp.

vegetable oil

1/2 cup

warm milk mixed with water

(although you could need a little more or less depending on flour/altitude etc.)

Instructions 

For the filling:

Heat the butter in a non-stick pan, add the onions and stir fry until they're translucent. Do not brown them. Add the chopped capsicum and grated carrot, stir-fry for about 5mins until they start to soften.

Add the raw chicken pieces and keep stirring until they start browning. Add the chillies, garlic, salt, cumin powder, tandoori masala and sweet corn. Sauté until the chicken pieces become tender and well-done.

If the mixture sticks to the pan and the chicken is not yet done, add a tbsp. of water and cover until ready. Make sure that the mixture is completely dry. Finally, add the coriander and soya sauce, mix well and switch off. Pour the lemon juice on the mixture, and whilst still hot, use a wooden spoon to smash the small pieces of chicken so that they become shredded.

Adjust salt/chili to your taste.