For the Dough:

• 1 cup milk
• 50 gm unsalted butter
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

For the Topping:

• 50 gm unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Make the Dough:

• Scald the milk over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes (bubbles on the edges but not boiling). Take it off the heat, add the butter and stir to melt. Let it cool to slightly warmer than room temperature. Stir in the yeast.
• Knead using a stand mixer or by hand. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk mixture and knead into a soft, smooth and elastic dough. If the dough seems dry, add milk, one tablespoon at a time till dough is of desired consistency.
• Place the dough into a bowl, cover loosely and let it rise for about 1 1/2 hours or so till doubled in volume. You can also let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. The rise will not be as much as regular dough because of the butter in the dough which will harden the dough. If refrigerating the dough, take it out next morning, lightly knead it, and then let it rise till double in volume.
• Line a 9 x 5 -inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Remove the parchment and set aside on a baking sheet.

Make the topping:

• Melt the butter in a mall pan or bowl. Stir in the sugars and cinnamon.
• Deflate the risen dough and press it out or roll out into an 8 x 7 -inch rectangle. Roll the dough into a loaf, starting from the 8-inch edge side. Place it, seam side down, onto the parchment.
• Slit the loaf 6 to 8 times with a serrated knife, cutting about 2/3rds into the dough. Stuff the slits generously with the cinnamon-sugar-butter.
• Using the parchment, lift the loaf into the pan. Spread the remaining mixture over the top of the dough uniformly. Let it rise till almost double, for about 45 minutes.
• Bake at 180C (350F) for about 30 minutes or so until the bread is done. Do watch the top to see it doesn’t get burned. My loaf came pretty close to it, as you can see from the images. Cool on a wire rack.

For the Yeast Dough:

• 1 cup milk
• 75 gm unsalted butter soft at room temperature
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg optional

For the Cheese, Pesto and Dried Tomato Filling:

• 1/4 cup crumbled paneer
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 1/4 cup chopped dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• Salt and red chilli flakes to taste

For the Dough:

Day 1 – Mix, Fold, Chill Dough :

• Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, till the butter is melted. Cool to room temp before incorporating in the dough.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, salt and egg. Add the cooled milk/butter mixture and knead till a soft, smooth, and elastic dough forms. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover, and let the dough rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours till almost double in volume.
• Turn the dough out onto your counter and gently punch the dough down. Pat the dough into a 10 × 6-inch rectangle, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight (about 8 to 24 hours). The overnight rest in the refrigerator improves flavour and also allows the dough to stiffen up for shaping.

Day 2 – Shape, Proof, Bake :

For the Cheese, Pesto and Dried Tomato Filling:

• Blend the crumbled paneer and pesto (I used basil pesto) till smooth. Keep aside with the chopped dried tomatoes and the grated Cheddar cheese.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up to room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to a rectangle 1/4-inch thick and about 14 × 20-inches. Spread the paneer-pesto blended paste over the surface of the dough to the edge, evenly but not too thick. Evenly sprinkle the chopped dried tomato and then grated Cheddar cheese over this. With your fingers, very lightly press down the filling into the dough.
  
• With the long side facing you, fold the dough in half, over itself. Gently press the edges together. Roll out the rectangle into a 7 × 15-inches rectangle. Using a pizza wheel, sharp knife, or bench scraper, cut the dough into twelve 7-inch long strips. To make it easier to divide the dough, make small notches every 1 1/4- inches to use as a guide while cutting the strips.
• Stretch the 7” strips out to about 15-inches. To do this, hold up one end of the strip and gently pull the dough until it reaches 15 inches in length. Be careful not to tear the dough. If the strips resist stretching, let them rest for 10 minutes, then continue stretching.
• Using the pizza wheel, cut exactly in the middle of each strip, along the length, keeping one end joined. It should look something like a pair of trousers/ pants with long legs. From the joined end, twist both strands over each other like a rope all the way to the other end. Roll the twisted dough into a circle and tuck the loose end under the sahped bun. Repeat this will all the dough strips.
  
• Place the shaped buns on parchment-lined baking sheets, allowing space for them to rise. Cover and let rise in a draft-free place for about an hour, or till almost double in size ½ – 2 hours, or longer, until doubled in size.
• Brush the buns with melted butter or milk and bake them at 190C (375F) for about 25 minutes, till golden brown. Let them cool on a wire rack. Serve.

• For the Dough:
• 1 cup lukewarm thick coconut milk
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 50 gm unsalted butter melted
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• For Brushing on the Dough:
• 25 gm unsalted butter melted
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• Pour the lukewarm coconut milk, melted butter, sugar and yeast into the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix and leave for about 5 minutes. Add the egg, and the flour and salt.
• Knead until you have a soft, smooth and elastic dough that is no longer sticky. Add a spoonsful of flour, if and as necessary to achieve this consistency. The dough should spring back slightly when you press it down gently.
• Shape the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat well. Loosely cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let it double in size. This should take about 2 hours or so depending on ambient temperature.
• Mix together melted butter and coconut oil in a small bowl.
• Lightly dust your countertop with flour and lightly knead the dough. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Shape each into a smooth ball and then roll out to 1/4-inch thick circles (bout 6-inches in diameter), or thinner if you prefer. Brush the surface of the dough circles with the butter-oil mixture. Fold over exactly in half into half-moon shapes.
• Place the folded dough on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the folded dough with some more of the butter-oil mixture. You can also brush the tops of the folded dough with just melted butter or coconut milk, if you prefer.
• Loosely cover them and allow to rise for about 30 to 40 minutes. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C (350F) for about 15 minutes or till they’re golden brown and done. Let them cool on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm, plain or as a sandwich,

• 1 3/4 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup water
• 10 gm soft unsalted butter
• 15 gm butter melted, for brushing
• 60 grams butter cut lengthwise into 6 x 10 gm strips
• Flaked sea salt for topping

• You can knead using a machine as well. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the milk and water and mix by hand or dough whisk until just combined. Add the soft butter and knead it in by hand.
• Knead the dough by hand (using pressing, stretching, and folding constantly) or mixer for about five minutes, until smooth and elastic. The dough will be a bit sticky but don't add more flour unless you fell the dough really needs it.
• Let the dough rise until doubled in volume. This can take from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your room temp.
• Turn the dough out onto your unfloured work surface and form it into a 1/2 inch thick round disk. Cut the dough into 6 wedges with a bench scraper. Roll each piece of dough into a cone, from long side to long side, pinching the seam. Let the dough cones, covered, for 10 minutes.
• With your hands, press each into a triangle. Then, using a rolling pin, shape each into a very long, thin triangle, like for croissants. If brushing with melted fresh coriander-garlic butter, do it now. Then place a 10 gram butter stick on the wide end and roll up the dough and form it into a crescent. Place it on a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Repeat with the rest of the dough. Cover loosely and allow to rise until puffy, about 45 minutes to an hour, in a warm spot.
• Heat your oven to 200C (400F). When ready to bake, spray the shaped rolls with water until they are shiny. Sprinkle each with a pinch or so of flaked sea salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly golden on top and crispy and browned on the bottom.
• Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm from the oven or within two hours. You can rewarm leftovers the same day to refresh them. Wrap and freeze additional leftovers for reheating in the oven the next day.

For the Pre-ferment or Poolish:

• 1/8 cup rye flour or whole-wheat flour
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp instant yeast

For the Dough:

• All the pre-ferment or polish from above
• 3/4 cup lukewarm water
• 3/4 cup rye flour or whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 to 3 tsp honey
• For the Topping optional:
• Rolled oats sunflower seeds, caraway seeds, coarse or flaked salt

Make the Pre-ferment or Poolish:

• The evening before you plan to bake, combine the water, flours, and yeast in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well and allow to rest at room temp overnight (about 8 to 12 hours). It should be bubbly in appearance.

Make the Dough:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the ingredients for the dough and mix well on low until there are no dry bits of flour. Knead until you have a soft and smooth dough that is just short of sticky. Add more water or flour, as necessary to reach this consistency of dough.
• Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. Gently knead the dough to release the air. Form into a round and place back in the bowl. Let the dough rest for an additional 45 minutes or till almost double in volume.
• After the dough has risen, gently knead again to release the air. Divide the dough into 8 portions and shape each portion into a ball. Place on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet leaving space in between to expand.
• Loosely cover the baking sheet with a kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for another 40-50 minutes, or until doubled in size. Just before baking, brush the dough balls with milk and lightly press in seed toppings or salt, if using. Then slash the rolls on top with a single line or X about 1/4-inch deep.
• Bake the rolls in a pre-heated oven at 190C (375F) for about 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Once the rolls are baked, allow them to cool on the baking sheet. Enjoy warm with butter.

For the Poolish:

• A small pinch instant yeast
• 1/4 cup water at room temperature
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

For the Dough:

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 1/2 cup water more or less as needed
• All of the Poolish from above
• 1 tsp salt

The Poolish:

• The evening previous to the day of baking the Khubz, mix together all the ingredients for the Poolish in a bowl. Cover loosely and let it ferment on the kitchen counter overnight.

Make the Dough:

• Next morning, put the Poolish, flours, salt, yeast in the bowl of your kneading machine. Pulse a couple of times to mix. Then add enough water and knead until you have a soft and elastic dough that is not too soft. Shape into a ball and place in a well-oiled bowl. Cover loosely and let it rise till almost double in volume.
• Once the dough is ready, knead gently a couple of times and divide into six equal portions. Using floured hands, shape each piece into a round. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Work with one ball of dough at a time. Lightly dust a ball of dough with flour and roll it out into a thin circle about 10-inches in diameter. You can also press it out thin by hand.
• On an Iron Griddle : When the griddle is hot, turn down the heat to medium. Put the rolled out dough on the hot griddle and cook as you would a chappathi. Gently cook it on each side for about a minute or till light brown spots start appearing. The dough will turn whitish/ opaque as it cooks. The flatbread should start puffing up gently. When it does turn up the heat so the bread puffs up all the way to the edges. If it doesn’t gently coax it by applying pressure with a flat spatula or a rolled up cotton kitchen towel in your hand. Do not keep it on high heat for too long or t will crisp up losing its softness.
• As they are done, put them into a basket. Serve immediately.
• On the BBQ: Light the barbecue, close the lid, and turn it to high. When the BBQ is very hot, using a dough scraper, place each round directly on the grill and close the lid of the barbecue. After a minute or so, use blunt-nosed tongs to move the rounds from place to place, to account for uneven heat. The flat breads should puff up, though you might have the occasional flat one. The flat ones will taste just as good.
• In the Oven: Place a pizza stone on the middle shelf of the oven set at 230C (450F). Place the dough circles on the stone. It takes 5-10 minutes to bake the breads. When they balloon up, gently turn them over using tongs. Also, move them around from time to time to account for uneven heat in the oven. To check to see if the breads are done, gently lift them up. They should be light weight and puffy.

For the Levain:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp sourdough starter

For the Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups water more or less as needed
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• generous 1/3 cup levain

For the Levain:

• The night before baking the bread, mix the levain ingredients in a bowl till smooth. Loosely cover and let it rest for about 10-15 hours at room temperature depending on your ambient temperature. You will have more than is required for the final dough. You can add the remaining levain to your starter and refrigerate it.

For the Dough:

• You can mix the dough by hand but a machine makes things easier. Add all 1 cup of the water and all the other ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low for a few minutes to combine. Increase speed to medium low and knead until the gluten begins to develop some stretch, about 5 minutes. Slowly add as much of the remaining water as required and knead for another 5 minutes until the dough is well developed and smooth. The dough should be somewhat slack in consistency.
• Shape in a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning it to coat it well. Let the dough proof for about 1-1/2 hours. After about 45 minutes do a fold by bringing up the sides to the center all the way around. After this let the dough almost double in volume.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Gently shape the dough into a loaf and place in a greased 8 x 4 -inch loaf pan. Let the dough rise for an hour to hour and a half until the dough has doubled and/or risen above the edge of the pan by about 3/4 to 1-inch height.
• Score if desired. Place in a pre-heated oven at 220C (425F). Immediately turn the heat down to 180C (350F) and bake for about 40 minutes or till the bread browns and sounds hollow when tapped.
• Remove to wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then remove from pan to finish cooling. Slice when completely cool.

For the Overnight Starter :

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/8 tsp dried yeast

For the Dough :

• 1/8 cup milk
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp dried yeast
• All the overnight starter
• 1 medium sized banana mashed
• 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tsp salt

For the Filling:

• 50 gm salted butter soft at room temperature
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 small to medium banana mashed
• Powdered cinnamon to taste
• Powdered dried ginger to taste
• Bread crumbs or vanilla cake crumbs as required

Make the Overnight Starter :

• The previous night of baking these buns/ bread, mix together the ingredients for the overnight starter in a medium bowl. Cover and leave on the counter overnight (about 8 to 10 hours).
• The morning of making the bread, proof the yeast in lukewarm milk and sugar. Mix well and keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes till frothy.

Make the Dough :

• Using your hand or a kneading machine, mix together the overnight starter, the proofed yeast, 2 and 3/4 cups of flour and remaining ingredients for the dough. Knead well, adding as much more flour as required to make a dough of soft, smooth and elastic consistency. The dough should be just short of sticky.
• Shape the dough into a ball and put in a well-oiled bowl, turning to coat it well. Cover loosely and let it rise till double in volume, about 2 hours or so. In the meanwhile make the filling by mixing together all the filling ingredients in a bowl. It should be of spreadable consistency but not gloopy. Refrigerate till ready to use, if necessary.

For Loaves :

• Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured board. Divide into 2 equal pieces. For loaves, gently shape the dough into flat rectangles that are about 2 centimetres thick. Smear the filling over each rectangle and roll like jelly rolls, from the narrow side, to make 2 loaves. Put the rolls seam side down in parchment paper covered bread tins.
• Cover the tins with a damp clean tea towel and let rise at warm room temperature until almost double. To test if it has risen enough, flour your finger and press gently on the edge - it should very slowly spring back. For comparison, try pressing early on to see how it quickly springs back when the dough has not risen enough.

To Shape & Cut the Buns :

• Using a lightly floured wooden rolling pin, roll one of the two pieces of dough as thinly as you can, into a long rectangle. Evenly slather the top of the rectangle with half the filling. Roll the rectangle up as tightly as you can to form a long tube. Cut diagonally and use a chopstick or finger to press down the centres so that the spiral flares out. Place well apart on parchment covered cookie sheet. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
• See the link to the video in post above to understand the shaping process better. Cover the shaped buns with a damp tea towel and let sit in until they have almost doubled.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200C (400F). Put the bread loaves in. After 15 minutes, turn the temperature down to 180C (350) and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes until they’re golden brown, done and sound hollow when tapped. Do the same for the buns but they will need a slightly shorter bake time. Half way through baking, turn the loaves/ buns around as with all that sugar, the bottoms of the buns especially, really want to burn.
• If you have made buns, place them still on the parchment paper on a footed rack on the counter to cool completely. If you have made bread, remove it from the pans, and place each loaf on its side to cool on the footed rack. If you wish to serve warm bread (of course you do), reheat it after it has cooled completely.
• To reheat any uncut bread, turn the oven to 200C (400F) for 5 minutes or so. Turn the oven OFF. Put the bread into the hot oven for about ten minutes. This will rejuvenate the crust and warm the crumb perfectly.

For the Overnight Starter :

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• One pinch instant yeast
• 1/3 cup water at room temperature

For the Panetonne Dough :

• all of the overnight starter
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 egg
• 60 gm unsalted butter soft at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp orange blossom water OR 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1/8 teaspoon orange oil
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
• 2 tbsp orange zest

Make the Overnight Starter :

• Mix together starter ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cover loosely and allow them to rest overnight in a cool pace on the kitchen counter for about 8 to 12 hours.

Make the Dough :

• Knead together all of the dough ingredients except the butter, fruit and zest. Knead by hand or using a machine. Add the butter last and knead to a soft, smooth and elastic dough. Cover loosely and allow the dough to rise, until it's puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk).
• Soak the dried fruit in hot water or hot orange juice to soften. Drain before adding to the dough in the following step.
• Gently deflate the dough, and knead in the fruits and zest. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a panettone mould or other straight-sided round cake tin. Remember to line the bottom and sides with baking parchment so the sides are taller than the sides of the pan. Cover the pan and let the dough rise until it's just crested over the rim of the pan. This should take about an hour or so.
• Divide the dough equally into about 10 portions if making Mini Panetonne. Shape each portion of dough into a smooth ball and drop into greased moulds. Allow to rise till the dough just crests the rim of the moulds. Brush the tops with milk.
• Bake at 200C (400F) 10 minutes; reduce the oven heat to then reduce the heat to 180C (350F) and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil if the crust appears to be browning too quickly. Reduce the baking time if baking Mini Panetonne. Panettone should be a deep brown when done, should sound hollow when tapped.
• Remove the panettone from the oven and cool completely. If glazing with sugar or melted chocolate, wait until the Panetonne have cooled completely. Store at room temperature, well-wrapped, for up to a week; freeze for longer storage.

For the Dough:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
• 1/2 cup plus 2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
• 1 cup lukewarm potato water or plain water
• 1 tsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp salt

For the Topping :

• 8 to 12 dried figs sliced in half
• 1 cup mildly sweet apple juice
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion sliced thin
• 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup quartered walnuts

• In a small saucepan, warm the olive oil and rosemary. Remove from the heat and let cool for I hour. Discard the rosemary sprigs. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the yeast, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/2 cup warm potato water. Let stand 1 hour, until it bubbles up and rises. Then add the remaining 2 cups flour, the rosemary olive oil, chopped rosemary, remaining potato water, and salt. Mix the dough thoroughly. Knead the dough on a floured board until it is soft but still moist. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning it once to cover it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place (about 75 degrees F). Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours, until doubled in volume.
• In the meantime, prepare the topping. Place the figs and apple juice in a small saucepan, and heat over medium heat until the apple juice bubbles around the edges.Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour.
• Heat the 3 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and just beginning to brown. Add the orange zest, season with salt and pepper, stir thoroughly, and set aside to cool.
• Place a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of the oven, and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Form the dough into a ball or smaller balls if making mini flatbreads. Let it rest for 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to form a 1/2 –inch thick 9x12-inch oval. Place it on a well-floured pizza peel.
• Drain the figs and distribute the figs, onions, and walnuts evenly over the dough. Lightly press them into the dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Then transfer the flatbread to the pizza stone and bake until golden brown and crispy, 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

For the Dough :

• 3/4 cup coconut milk or regular milk
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp instant yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp powdered milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 50 gm unsalted butter melted
• 1 large egg

For the Coconut Filling :

• 2/3 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/16 tsp turmeric powder optional
• 45 gm unsalted butter melted
• 1 tsp lime zest optional
• 1 tsp crushed cardamom or vanilla extract
• For Brushing :
• Egg Wash or milk

To Make the Dough :

• Combine the milk, a little sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes till foamy.
• Put this and all other ingredients for the dough in a large bowl or bowl of your dough kneading machine. Knead until you have a soft, smooth and elastic dough. Adjust liquid and flour, in small increments, as required to each this consistency. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a surface and knead a few times. Ideally, your dough should pass the “window pane” test.
• Shape the dough into a ball and place in a well-oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp towel (or a silicone lid) and let it rise for about 1 hour, until the dough doubles in size.

Make the Filling while the dough rises.

• Using a spoon, mix together in a bowl all the ingredients for the filling, till combined.
• Cover and refrigerate the filling for about 20 to 30 minutes to chill. The filling should still be of a spreading consistency when you take it out. Do not let it harden.

To Shape the Buns :

• Gently knead the risen dough to degas it. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Work with one portion at a time keeping the others covered. Shape the dough into an oval. Cover 5 pieces of dough with a towel while you shape the first bun.
• Take the chilled filling out of the refrigerator and divide it into 6 portions as well. Each portion should be equal to about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of filling worth. Roll each portion into a ball. The directions below are to shape twisted round buns.
• Degas and slightly flatten each ball of dough. Put each ball of filling in the centre of the dough and bring the sides of the dough circle up, pinching together to completely enclose the filling in the dough. You will now have a ball of dough with filling inside it.
• Roll out one piece of dough until you get a reasonable thin rectangle of about 10 x 4 inches. You don’t need to flour your work surface. If you feel you do, dust lightly with flour.
• Using a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 equidistant long cuts along the length inside the rectangle, leaving about 1/4 to 1/2 inch at the short edges intact. Holding the short edges with your hands, pull very gently to stretch the dough, then twist the dough a few times. Fold into a knot. Tuck both ends under. The filling should show up in layers on the shaped dough. The videos will give you an idea how to do this.
• Place the shaped buns on a lightly greased or parchment lined tray. Transfer the knotted dough onto the lined baking sheet. Cover them loosely and allow them to rise till almost in size. When ready, brush the tops with egg wash or milk.
• Bake them in a pre-heated oven at 180C (350F) for about 25 minutes till they’re done and a beautiful light golden brown in colour. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. These buns are best eaten while they’re still a little warm.
• They will keep for 2 or 3 days, but it is best to refrigerate them if you live in warmer climates. Warm them up before eating.

For the Dough :

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• scant 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

For the Filling :

• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger or paste
• 2 medium onions sliced thin
• 3 medium carrots julienned
• 2 large red bell peppers julienned
• 1 cup thinly shredded cabbage
• Dark soy sauce to taste
• Sweet & Spicy chilli sauce to taste
• Red chilli flakes to taste
• Salt to taste
• 3 to 4 tbsp roasted sesame seeds optional

To make the Dough :

• You can knead the dough by hand or in a kneading machine. I generally use a food processor and then do the final kneading by hand. Place dry ingredients into the bowl of the food processor or kneading machine and whisk to combine. Then add as much of the milk as required and the tablespoon of sesame oil and knead to obtain a soft, smooth and elastic dough.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a smooth ball. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size. This should take between one to two hours.

Make the filling while the dough is rising.

• Heat the oil in a wok and add the garlic and ginger. Sauté till the garlic loses its raw smell. Add the onions and sauté till transparent and soft. Add the remaining vegetables and sauté for a few minutes till they cook but are still crisp. Stir in the sauces and seasonings. Let it cool completely. Your filling should be moist but not wet else you will have soggy steamed buns.

To make the Steamed Buns :

• Once the dough has proofed, deflate the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Form into a smooth ball.
• Cut 12 4-inch squares of parchment paper. Cupcake liners also work very well. You can also use squares of plantain leaves if you can find them.
• Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, and shape each into a smooth ball. Roll each ball into a 4” circle. Make sure the edges are thinner than the middle. Place a portion of the filling in the centre of the round of dough. Pull the edges together and close, or pleat the edges closed. Place on a square of parchment paper, cupcake liner or plantain leaf bit, either pleat side up or pleat side down.
• Place the buns on a baking sheet or cutting board. Cover loosely with a damp towel and allow them to proof till about double in size, about 30 minutes.
• Set up a steamer, and bring water to a simmer. Arrange the buns on the steamer basket, about 2” apart. If you have to work in batches, keep the remaining buns in the refrigerator to keep them from over proofing.
• Wrap the underside of the steamer lid in a cotton towel and then close the steamer basket. The cotton towel will absorb the extra moisture and prevent it from dripping on the bus. Steam over the simmering water for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and leave the buns in the covered steamer for 5 more minutes to prevent them from collapsing.
• Remove the buns and let them cool slightly before serving. Serve with sauces of your choice.