Pesto Babka | Eggless Bread Recipes

I've been posting Bread recipes back to back..apologies.It is just that I'm on a bread baking spree and I cannot wait to share with you guys whenever I bake something and it comes out super delicious.

I have made Pesto rolls before and posted it here years back.I wonder why I don't make it more often.Pesto is a flavor bomb I tell you!Every time I make Cinnamon rolls and roll it to cut into small even rolls,I am always tempted to try this Babka method of cutting the roll into half and then shaping it.It never happened though and I always kept telling to myself,next time for sure!

Today was the day.I got hold of some freshest Basil leaves harvested from a friend's balcony garden.Combined that with some leaves in my garden as well and made a super simple pesto.No fancy ingredients but absolutely no compromise on the taste,how about that.Finished my lunch hurriedly and went about making it.

Making the dough takes hardly 5 minutes as I knead my dough in the food processor.While the dough was proving,made the pesto.By tea time we had warm pesto Babka ready :)

Pesto Babka

Ingredients

Maida/Flour - 1 1/2 cups

Milk powder - 1 tbsp(optional)

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Yeast - 1 tsp

Italian seasoning - 1 tsp

Warm milk - 1/2 cup (plus 1 or 2 tbsp)

Butter - 1 1/2 tbsp (or oil)

For the filling

Pesto - 1/4 cup

Shredded Mozzarella - 1/4 cup

Method

Into the bowl of your food processor bowl-add flour,milk powder,sugar,salt and yeast and seasoning.Pulse for 10 seconds.

Add the milk through the spout and pulse simultaneously till a dough is formed.

Mix in the butter and pulse for 30 -45 seconds.

OR

Into a bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well.Mix the milk and knead to a smooth dough(7-10 minutes).Mix in butter and knead again for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and let it double(about 1 hour).

Meanwhile make the Pesto.I made a super simple version today with just a handful of basil leaves,few cashewnuts,2 cloves of garlic,pepper,salt and olive oil.Grind everything together to a smooth paste.

Once the dough is double,punch it down and shape into a rough rectangle.

Roll it thin and maintain the shape of a rectangle.

Brush some olive oil and then apply an even layer of pesto all over.

Top with some shredded mozzarella and roll into a tight roll.

Keeping an inch intact,run a knife right in the middle of the roll cutting it into two.

Now make a small braid by overlapping one piece over the other and shape into a round(or any shape of your choice)

Place on a lined baking tray,cover with a cling wrap and let it double for 20-35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Once the Babka is doubled,remove the cling wrap,brush some olive oil on top generously and bake it for 25-30 minutes or until it turns golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Immediately brush some melted butter on top and cover loosely with a kitchen towel.

Serve warm :)

Step by Step Tutorial

Into the bowl of your food processor bowl-add flour,milk powder,sugar,salt and yeast and seasoning.Pulse for 10 seconds.

Add the milk through the spout and pulse simultaneously till a dough is formed.

Mix in the butter and pulse for 30 -45 seconds.

OR

Into a bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well.Mix the milk and knead to a smooth dough(7-10 minutes).Mix in butter and knead again for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and let it double(about 1 hour).

Meanwhile make the Pesto.I made a super simple version today with just a handful of basil leaves,few cashewnuts,2 cloves of garlic,pepper,salt and olive oil.Grind everything together to a smooth paste.You can grind it coarse too if that's your preference.

Once the dough is double,punch it down and 

shape into a rough rectangle.

Roll it thin and maintain the shape of a rectangle.

Brush some olive oil and then 

apply an even layer of pesto all over.

Top with some shredded mozzarella 

and roll into a tight roll.

Keeping an inch intact,run a knife right in the middle of the roll cutting it into two.

Now make a small braid by overlapping one piece over the other and shape into a round(or any shape of your choice)

Place on a lined baking tray,

cover with a cling wrap and let it double for 20-35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Once the Babka is doubled,remove the cling wrap,brush some olive oil on top generously and bake it for 25-30 minutes or until it turns golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Immediately brush some melted butter on top and cover loosely with a kitchen towel.

Serve warm :)

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Iyengar Bakery Style Khara Buns | Masala Buns | Easy Bread recipes

There are some recipes which make you really excited.For me,currently,it is bread recipes.It started with making loaves for our daily use and now I want to try some breads at least twice(or even thrice) a week.Like someone said,it is healthier to eat APF breads made at home than the WWF breads from outside.So I am not yet fretting over the flour that seems to be purchased and consumed(not by us alone,I do distribute it among friends!)I will make the move to WWF,slowly but surely.

I happened to see quite a lot of Youtube videos of Iyengar bakeries in Bangalore and the stuff which is really popular and the best seller there.I have already tried the Honey Cake so next in line was this amazingly exciting Khara buns."khara" means spicy and these buns are quite literally so.I once tasted a Khara bun in Bangalore and aside from the strong taste of curry leaves,it was quite spicy from the green chillies that get added into it.I was told it is eaten warm,slathered with butter between sips of coffee :)

I have tweaked my regular bread recipe a bit and made these buns and they tasted really soft and fluffy with the right hint of spice,like how we prefer to eat it.You may increase the spice if that's your choice.The dough is a bit wet and needs a bit of tlc,you may get tempted to add more flour but the hydration is what gives you super soft buns.If it gets too difficult to knead,add a tbsp or more of flour but not more.

I really hope you try this out and enjoy some KBC - Khara Buns and Chai/Coffee:)

Khara Buns | Iyengar Bakery Style Khara Buns

Ingredients

Flour - 2 cups

Milk powder - 1 tbsp(optional)

Salt - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tbsp(divided)

Warm Milk - 1/2 cup 

Water - 1/4 cup

Yeast -1 tsp

Onion - 1 medium

Green chillies - 1-2

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Garlic -1 clove(optional)

Mint leaves - about 1/4 cup

Curry leaves - 5 sprigs

Coriander leaves - about 1/4 cup

Butter - 2-3 tbsp ( or oil)

Method

Mix together warm milk and 1/2 tbsp sugar well till the sugar gets dissolved.

Mix in the yeast and let it proof for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile mix together flour,milk powder,salt and sugar.

Chop the onions and greens(I used a manual chopper and chopped everything together).

I kneaded the dough in my food processor - so added the flour first followed by the onion mix,yeast and pulsed together while adding the water simultaneously.

Once the dough comes together,add the butter and pulse again for about 30 seconds.The dough is extremely sticky at this point.

Add some flour on your kitchen counter and finish the kneading with your hands till it comes together.

If you are kneading by hand,the dough will still be sticky but we need that texture to get super soft buns.You could also use a stand mixer.

When the dough stretches easily without tearing(window pane),your dough is ready.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a clingfilm or wrap and let it proof till the dough doubles in volume.It took me 45 minutes.

Punch the dough to degas and divide the dough equally into eight.Flatten the dough and tuck the ends and roll each buns using your palms.

Place the shaped buns on a tray and cover and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C.Bake the buns for 25-30 minutes or until the buns are golden brown in colour and sound hollow when tapped.

Brush the buns with some melted butter and cover using a kitchen towel for 5 minutes,this helps in getting a soft crust.

Serve warm with some butter and hot coffee/chai :)

Step by Step Tutorial

Mix together warm milk and 1/2 tbsp sugar well till the sugar gets dissolved.

Mix in the yeast and let it proof for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile mix together flour,milk powder,salt and sugar.

Chop the onions and greens(I used a manual chopper and chopped everything together).

I kneaded the dough in my food processor - so added the flour first followed by the onion mix,yeast and pulsed together while adding the water simultaneously.

Once the dough comes together,add the butter and pulse again for about 30 seconds.

The dough is extremely sticky at this point.

Add some flour on your kitchen counter and finish the kneading with your hands till it comes together.

If you are kneading by hand,the dough will still be sticky but we need that texture to get super soft buns.You could also use a stand mixer.

When the dough stretches easily without tearing(window pane),your dough is ready.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a clingfilm or wrap and let it proof till the dough doubles in volume.

It took me 45 minutes.( I took a video of the risen dough but forgot to take a picture! If you follow me on Instagram,please do check out the stories to see how well the dough had risen!)

Punch the dough to degas 

and divide the dough equally into eight.

Flatten the dough and tuck the ends and roll each buns using your palms.

Place the shaped buns on a tray and cover and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C.Bake the buns for 25-30 minutes or until the buns are golden brown in colour and sound hollow when tapped.

Brush the buns with some melted butter and cover using a kitchen towel for 5 minutes,this helps in getting a soft crust.

Serve warm with some butter and hot coffee/chai :)

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Arjun Turns SIX!

 

My baby boy,who was just born yesterday turned SIX!

Every birthday is special but this year it is extra special because this is one of our most difficult years ever..with the pandemic still not behind us,all of us are looking forward to one silver lining,one happy occasion so that even if it is for a little while,we can forget all about Covid and enjoy and celebrate the day.

We traveled to Bangalore to be with family to celebrate Arjun's birthday.It was such a happy feeling to be reunited with family and though he missed having his friends around for the birthday celebration,he was very happy to celebrate it with family.

He did not have any special demands for the birthday cake this year.I zeroed in on this cake as currently,Kitkat is one of his favorite chocolates.

I made a three layer cake with Chocolate,Strawberry and Vanilla sponge.Made it eggless too as my mother-in-law doesn't eat cake with eggs.With some yummy homemade food and family as company,we indeed had a lovely time and that's what is important right? Birthday or not :)

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