curry buns

inititially i had intended to use instant yeast for these. but, I didn't have any at the time. and I had sourdough starter. and so I made them this way. and inertia. inertia. inertia. it's a process. an all day process.

ingredients

dough

starter[1]            100 g
all purpose flour     275 g
whole wheat flour      25 g
milk                  140 g
egg                     1
butter                 60 g
sugar                  14 g
salt                    7 g

filling

onion                 120 g
garlic ginger paste[2]  1 tbsp
curry powder           1½ tsp
cumin                   1 tsp
turmeric                1 tsp
chili powder            ½ tsp
black pepper            ¼ tsp
potato                100 g
chicken               200 g
milk                    ¼ cup
tomato paste            1 tsp
clove                   ¼ tsp
fennel                  ¼ tsp
salt                    1 tsp
sugar                   ½ tsp
oil                  some

glaze

butter                 10 g
egg yolk                1

possibilities

make it vegetarian by removing the chicken, and making these adjustments:

onion                 200 g
potato                260 g
milk                    ⅓ cup

a process

dough

filling

• grind any of the spices not yet ground.
• procure two medium sized bowls.
• chop the onion into small-ish pieces
• into the first bowl, add onion, garlic/ginger paste, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, chili powder and black pepper.
• chop the potato (~half centimeter pieces), and chicken (~1 centimeter pieces)
• into the second bowl add the potato, chicken, milk, tomato paste, coriander, clove, fennel, salt and sugar.
• heat some oil in a pan, pot, wok or something.
• dump the first bowl into the pan. cook until spices are fragrant and the onions begin to soften. mix to ensure everything is well combined.
• dump the second bowl into the pan. mix well. put a lid on the pan and let simmer. mix occasinally.
• it is 'done' when the chicken is cooked through. the potato need not be soft.
• when it is 'done' remove the lid. let simmer until any standing liquid has disappeared.

assembly

• weigh the risen dough.
• divide dough into twelve equal portions by weight. this is generally ~54 grams each.
• form each portion into a sphere and set aside.

• with a rolling pin, flatten a portion into a disk twice as long as wide.
• place a large tablespoon of filling onto the lower portion of the disk.
• fold the upper portion of the disk over the top of the filling.
• crimp the edges with thumb and forefinger.
• once sealed, shape the bun into a half circle with cupped hands.
• place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
• do this for each portion of dough.

• place the baking sheet inside a plastic bag, and let rise for 6 hours.
• after 6 hours has passed, put it in the fridge overnight.

baking

• remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator.
• do your buns look plump? one can hope. if not, set the baking sheet on top of the fridge, and wait a spell. until you think they look nice.
• whisk together soft butter and egg yolk for the glaze. add as much milk as necessary for the desired consistency.
• once the buns are ready to bake, apply the glaze with a brush.
• preheat a steamy oven to 220C
• bake for 10 minutes.
• remove the steam
• bake for another 10 minutes