WOYP Day #32 Khara Bread and Khara Buns

Of late, I’ve been working on recipes that I had been meaning to tackle since years! Given that I’m not running around for the boys’ school or their activities, I’ve had considerably more time on hand or rather in one place. This of course doesn’t mean I can laze around since hungry bellies have become bottomless pits now :D I’m not complaining, I’m lucky I enjoy cooking and baking but its not the same story with many of my friends and relatives who want to be out of the kitchen asap! :)

This Khara bread has been on my list for not weeks or months but years! I finally got around to making it and definitely glad I did. I remember eating the pillowy soft Khara bread from bakeries back in Mysore. That and Toast, Honey Cake, Khara Biscuits, Benne Biscuits…yummmm! The driving force behind trying these recipes is the urge to eat them and their non-availability here! We crave those familiar flavors and smells, more so now being home all the time. Khara means "spicy" in Kannada. 

 
This recipe makes one large loaf and few buns or a medium sized loaf and 6 buns. The recipe can be easily halved and is egg free. If you are making this for the first time I would highly recommend halving the recipe.

Khara Bread (or Buns): 

Makes: 2 medium loaves 

You will need:
3.5 cups to 4 cups All-purpose flour (Maida) plus more
2 tsp Active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Water
1/2 cup Milk
2 tbsp Olive oil

For the flavoring:

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Dill
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped Onion (I used red onion)
1 tbsp Green chili paste ** (see note below)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Olive oil or Vegetable oil

To brush the top of bread:

Milk as needed
Butter as needed

NOTE: I usually have a batch of green chili paste on hand, which has salt added to it (to preserve) since we use it in several south Indian recipes. I used the same quantity of this paste mentioned above but did NOT use the salt mentioned in the dough ingredients. If you make the green chili paste for this recipe then grind chilies to a fine paste and use salt as mentioned above. This is important because you don't want to over salt the bread.

Combine the water and milk and warm it (around 100F) on the stove top or a microwave. Add the sugar and yeast, stir and set aside for 10 minutes until frothy and bubbly. If you don’t see  any reaction either the liquid was not hot enough to activate the yeast or too hot to kill the yeast. In either case, you would have to start over. 

While the yeast proves, heat 1 tbsp of Olive oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and when it crackles, add the chopped onions and sauté until soft. Add the chopped dill and cilantro and saute for a minute until the dill loses the raw smell. Stir in the chili paste (see NOTE above). Turn off heat and cool.

Once the yeast is ready pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. If mixing by hand pour into a large bowl (enough to fit 4 cups of flour). Fit the dough hook on the mixer. Add the olive oil, salt (if using - see note regarding chili paste). Add 2 cups of flour and start the mixer on low. Add another 1.5 cups of flour and continue mixing until the dough comes together. It will be sticky. At this point add in the sautéed onion-greens mixture. Knead for a minute and then add more flour - I added about another 1/2 cup of flour until the dough came together into a soft smooth ball. Knead for 7-8 minutes. 

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Set aside in a warm place until doubled,  about 1.5 hours - 2 hours depending on how warm it is where you are.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead one more time by hand about 4-5 minutes. Cut dough in half, shape into a loaf and place in a greased 9”x5” loaf pan. Cut the remaining dough into 6 equal pieces and shape into buns. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover the loaf and buns loosely with a plastic wrap and allow to rise again for 40-45 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 360F close to the end of the second proof. Brush the top of the loaf and buns with milk.

Bake the buns for 15-16 minutes and the loaf for 25-28 minutes. Keep and eye on both and don’t allow the top to brown too much. Adjust baking times depending on the quantity you make and your oven.

Once the buns are out, brush the tops with melted butter. This makes for a soft crust. Do the same once the loaf is baked and out of the oven. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely before slicing or storing.

This turned out to be a nice pleasant green on the inside with specks of dill everywhere. The taste is spot on and one bite with a slather of butter on a warm slice took me right back in time!!