Khara Buns / Savory Buns With Herbs and Spice

I came to know about khara buns (means spicy buns) after I started blogging. I have it seen it in innumerable blogs. It is one of famous savory buns served in Iyengar bakery in Bangalore. I had once visited Bangalore, but at that time, I had not known about the bakeries, so I missed the chance of tasting their bakery delicacy. I don’t think I will be going to Bangalore in the near future. 

For a long time I haven’t baked any bread, causing an itch to try one. I wanted to try the Khara buns, but getting a recipe from Iyengar bakery is impossible, and hence looked at most of recipes on the internet. Reading most of the recipes, I came to a conclusion that they are making major blunders while handling yeast, such as some are adding salt while proofing the yeast or using active dry yeast with not proofing them, or some of them were adding onion and green chili without sautéing them. I know while making chimmichuri buns I came across a note in King Arthur flour site that you are using fresh onion you need to sauté to prevent killing of yeast. 

I found one recipe which sautéed the green chilies, curry leaves and onion, then it is mixed with coriander leaves, so taken that part from there and for bun recipe I used my trusted site King Arthur flour baking banter. I added an egg as I am not much interested in eggless baking, I know the softness which the eggs give in not easy to replace with any of substitute. Since I am making buns once in blue moon, adding an egg won’t hurt much. If you are so particular about not having an egg in the recipe, skip the egg, but you have to make little sacrifice in softness of buns.

These are delicious buns, if you make toast with little butter then it delish. I thought using one Serrano pepper and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper will makes the buns very spicy, but it turned out to be mild. It was approved by my little one, she wanted to do a taste test even from raw dough, but as I had added an egg I was not willing to give her. Finally after baking she tried it and loved it. My hubby ate buns for his breakfast and evening tea snack. Next time when I get chance to visit Bangalore I will sure going visit the Iyengar bakery and try their delicacy. Here goes the recipe.

One year ago: Chocolate coconut palova with chocolate mousse

Print recipe from here 

What you need

Unbleached all purpose flour/ Maida: 504g/3 cups + 1 tablespoon
Unsalted butter: 26g/ 2 tablespoon
Salt: 10g/2 teaspoon
Instant Yeast: 7g/3/4 tablespoon
Granulated sugar: 6g/1 ½ teaspoon
Chopped red onion: 185g/1 1/3 cup
Green chilies: 1 ½ tablespoon ( I used Serrano pepper)
Cayenne pepper: ½ teaspoon
Curry leaves: 1 sprig( about 21 leaves)
Coriander leaves; 2 tablespon
Water:288g/1 cup/8oz ( used less than 2 tablespoon)
Olive oil: 1 tablespoon

How I made

In a medium skillet add olive oil and sauté the onion, green chilies and curry leaves until onion become translucent and change the color or until 4 minutes and switch off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves and set aside.

In a microwave safe bowl heat butter at high for 30 seconds and set aside. 

In a bowl of kitchen aid stand mixer attached with paddle attachment add all purpose flour, yeast , sugar and salt and cayenne pepper and egg and mix everything until they become dry mass, to this add melted cooled butter and mix everything once again. To this gradually add water to form sticky but soft dough. Change the paddle attachment with dough hook and add onion and coriander mixture and mix everything for about 6 minutes to make enough gluten. Dough looks soft and shiny and it should pass window pane test. 

Shape the dough loose ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours and 27 minutes or until the dough doubled in size.

After first rise, gently deflate the dough,( about 940g) and divide it into 7 pieces of 124g and small piece of 72g( total 8 pieces). Shape each piece into a round ball; flatten to about 3" across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour and 30 minutes, until noticeably puffy.

Preheat the oven to 375 F and bake the buns for 17 minutes, until golden. Remove them from the oven, and brush with the melted butter. This will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust. 

Cool the buns on a rack, enjoy as much as you wish.

After  cutting

Preparation time: 4 hour and 25 minutes
Yield: 7 large buns+ 1 small bun
Verdict: Yummy, soft
Will you make it again: Yes I will

I am  linking this to Hearth and  Soul hop #54
 Bread baking day#41  Bread with herbs hosted by my discovery of Bread  originally started by Zorra of  Kochtopf 
 Yeast spotting and