With the weather getting warmer , I need to bake as much as I can before our very tiny kitchen turns into a hell's kitchen ! Baking can be therapeutic but not if the kitchen's temperature can go as high as mid-30's in the morning *sigh*
I never had this kind of bread before so when I saw Sonia's post about Japanese curry buns , I was delighted to see another savoury buns to try . Of course , she posted the recipe way back in 2013 but as the saying goes , Too many breads to bake , so little time ha !
Japanese curry bun is made by wrapping a prepared curry filling inside a small portion of dough . It is then covered in breadcrumbs or panko and traditionally , deep fried but baking it is a good , healthy choice .
Recipe is pretty much straightforward , make the curry filling first and you can do it the day before . If you love Japanese curry with rice , double the recipe , trust me , the filling on its own tastes really good ! If you tried Izumi's curry , this recipe is a copycat or maybe it's the other way around lol
The dough is very easy to handle but I added some water as the dough is a bit dry while I was kneading it . When you wrap in the filling , be sure to seal the edge well and roll the dough until it is smooth and tight , you want the filling to be in the middle , so that after it is baked , the filling should be evenly distributed , not in the other half of the bun and the other part has no filling at all . I used a very coarse breadcrumbs and I'm not so happy with how the bread look , I should have crushed some of the more coarser crumbs .
Remember to let the buns cool down for about 10 minutes before consuming . The filling is piping hot and it nearly burned my greedy mouth ....
Recipe adapted from Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover
Makes 14 curry buns and 4 ( no filling ) buns
Japanese curry buns filling :
90 grams ( peeled weight ) onion , finely sliced
115 grams ( peeled weight ) carrot , cut into small cubes
300 grams boneless , skinless whole chicken legs , thinly sliced
75 grams Japanese curry roux
420 grams water
42 grams butter , cut into small cubes
42 grams flour
* Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok over medium heat , stir-fry onion and carrot until fragrant , 3 minutes , add in water .
* In a nonstick pan , pan fry chicken slices over high heat until it changes color , 2 minutes . Add chicken into the wok , let mixture boil , then turn down heat to medium-low , cover and simmer for 13 minutes . Add in the curry roux , stir well until dissolved and continue to cook for another 2 minutes .
* Meanwhile , in a clean nonstick pan , melt butter over low heat , when melted add in the flour , stir until flour is incorporated and mixture is smooth and thickened . Add it to the curry mixture , stir well until thick . Transfer to a bowl , let cool completely before using , you can refrigerate the mixture overnight .
* Divide mixture into 14 pieces at 45 grams each and form into a small balls , place into a baking sheet and chill in the fridge until needed .
* Divide mixture into 14 pieces at 45 grams each and form into a small balls , place into a baking sheet and chill in the fridge until needed .
For the curry buns dough :
500 grams bread flour
60 grams caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 large egg , lightly beaten , at room temperature
235 grams water ( plus 15 grams )
50 grams unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes , at room temperature
1 egg , lightly beaten and strain
panko or breadcrumbs
* Mix all ingredients for the dough except the butter . Knead for 10 minutes , add water if the dough is a bit dry , then add in the butter in 3 additions until dough is smooth and elastic , another 15 minutes . Transfer dough into a lightly-oiled bowl , cover tightly with plastic wrap and let proof until doubled in size , about 1 hour or depending on the warmth of your place .
* Final dough is 895 grams . Weigh dough into 14 pieces at 50 grams each ( 4 at 48 grams each ) . Form into balls , cover and let rest for 15 minutes .
* Working 1 dough/portion at a time , using your fingers , flatten one dough into about 3 1/2-inch diameter . Place one curry filling on top , wrap dough around it and seal , rolling between your hands so that dough will be smooth .
* Brush bun with egg wash , place onto the plate with bread crumbs and cover the glazed dough well . Place in a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet , cover with plastic wrap or tea towel and continue with the rest of the dough and filling .
* Proof filled dough for 35 to 45 minutes .
* Preheat oven to 200°C . Bake curry buns , in the middle of the oven , for 16 to 18 minutes or until tops are lightly-golden . The filling will be very hot so be cautious when consuming after few minutes of taking buns out of the oven .