Niya's World: Cheese Buns

Cheese Buns

Makes: 9

Please use standard measuring cups and spoons. Fresh ingredients for best results.

Ingredients

For yeast:

A piece of advice at the start itself (this is the lesson learnt from my

many disasters) – If the yeast is not fermenting as described – never go any further. The flour won’t rise. Get a new pack of yeast and start all over again.

5 tablespoons warm water (75 ml)

3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) sugar

1 teaspoon active dry yeast (please use fresh packet)

Method

Dilute 1 teaspoon active dry yeast with 5 tablespoons warm water and 3 teaspoons sugar. Gently stir well. Let it stand for 15 minutes, until it fermented / well risen and doubles in quantity.

For the dough:

Ingredients

400 ml / 2 cups (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity) all purpose flour (maida)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoon butter + 50 ml milk

Extra 3 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon extra butter (to grease cup cake / small muffin mould)

1 st stage:

For the dough:

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in 50 ml medium hot milk and keep aside.

Place 2 cups of flour in a large bowl (or first add 1 1/2 cups of flour and later adjust with remaining 1/2 cup flour), and stir in salt. Make a well in the centre, and pour milk – butter mix, salt, sugar and fermented yeast mixture. Knead into a dough. Sprinkle 1 - 3 tablespoons of reserved milk if required until you have a soft moist dough that can be handled well and soft. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for at least 10 minutes (make an extra soft dough – softer than a soft toy). Return to the bowl, cover with a wet towel / cling film (wet towel and dough should not touch each other) and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

For the cheese:

Ingredients

2 small cheese cubes, grated

3 tablespoon finely chopped mint and coriander leaves

1 small tomato (optional), finely chopped or any other mixed vegetables (grated carrot, beetroot, cabbage ...)

2 tablespoon chopped onion

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients and keep it ready.

2nd stage:

Punch the dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

3rd stage:

Sprinkle some dry flour and roll dough into a sheet of 25 cm in length and 20 cm in width. Sprinkle cheese – herb - tomato - onion evenly from top to end. Roll from one end to another (like a Swiss roll).