Laadi Pao

I have baked bread before.  However, I was looking for a bread recipe with minimum ingredients that are easily available at home, lockdown after all.  Here is a simple bread recipe, Laadi pao, just how you get it at the bakery but hygienic!

Collect it:

·        3 cups All-Purpose Flour / Maida

·        1 1/4 cup warm water

·        2 1/4 tsp yeast

·        2 tbsp sugar

·        3 tbsp oil

·        1 tsp salt

Make it:

Keep all ingredients ready.

Add salt to the flour and set aside.

To the warm water (warm enough to the touch. Not hot as the yeast will commit suicide) add sugar and yeast.  Set aside for five minutes to froth.  Five or ten minutes later, if the mixture does not froth, start over again.  Check the date of the yeast. Do not proceed if the mixture does not froth.

Add the yeast mixture to the flour and knead.  Kneading is very important for soft textured bread. The dough has to be very soft when pinched.

Apply oil to a bowl (about 1 tsp oil), place the dough in it and cover the bowl with a cloth. Keep the bowl in a warm place for about 1 hour till the dough has doubled in size. (It may take longer. The ideal would be double the volume)

Place the dough on kitchen surface.  Knead it again for a couple of minutes.

Divide dough into 12 equal portions. I prefer measuring out the whole dough and dividing into equal portions. It is important not to tear the dough apart but to cut it with knife.

Form balls of each portion and place them on a greased baking tray. (Baking tray size is about 13 X 9 X 2 inches) Cover tray with cloth and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.

 Preheat oven at 220 deg C. Brush top with egg or just plain water.

Bake for 20 mins. Remove from baking tray. Brush top with oil.

Cover pao in cloth for at least 30 mins before serving.