Butter Pav

For Instant yeast users : Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and add the water. Do not add all the water together but 2 tbsp at a time till the mixture is like a wet batter. Cover with a lid and keep aside for 1 hour till double in volume and mixture starts leaving the sides of the bowl. Wrap the batter in clingfilm (it does not spill) or cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate it. Use 2 hours before use.

For active dry yeast users : Mix the yeast with the water and add the sugar. Keep it undisturbed for 15 minutes till frothy. Add this to the rest of the ingredients and add sufficient water to make a wet batter. Cover with a lid and keep aside for 1 hour till double in volume and mixture starts leaving the sides of the bowl .Wrap the batter in clingfilm or cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate it. Use 2 hours before use.

Take the refrigerated preferment out.

Prepare active dry yeast as per the procedure above for the preferment. Mix all the dry ingredients and honey in a large bowl. For instant yeast mix it along with the bowl ingredients.

Add milk and start kneading till the mixture comes together. Do not make a dry dough. Make it moist leaving enough space for it to rise. Cover the dough and leave it for 30 – 35 minutes till it doubles in volume.

Flour a kitchen countertop and take out the dough onto the floured surface. Make a round like a pizza patting down the dough with the palms of your hands

Now put the preferment in the middle and invert the sides of the circle so as to enclose the preferment. Sprinkle top with flour and start kneading the preferment into the dough. Knead for 5 minutes and again pat into a circle.

This time put the softened butter in the centre and enclose sides. Knead again and soon the dough would be sticky. Sprinkle more flour and knead for around 15 minutes sometimes “banging” the dough on the countertop.

Believe me this will ease your tensions like never before.

Cover the dough and let it prove for 35 – 40 minutes till double the volume. Flour the countertop again and take the dough on it. Punch down the dough and knead for 5 – 7 minutes more.

Prepare a square or a rectangular cake pan by either spraying it with baking spray or greasing it with butter.

Make lemon sized balls of the dough, flatten them and pinch all the sides towards the centre and roll into balls again. Keep them well spaced in the cake pan. Cover with clingfilm and let them rise for 30 minutes till doubled in volume.

Preheat oven to 180°C 15 minutes before baking. Brush the risen Pav with milk and bake in the preheated oven till a rosy golden brown top and they sound hollow when tapped.

Take out of the oven and brush with the rest of the softened butter. Leave to cool.

Serve warm by themselves or with an accompaniment.