Ladi Pav | Indian Bread Rolls
Ladi Pav | Indian Bread Rolls are homemade, soft, pillowy, buttery eggless rolls that are commonly served with certain types of street food. Easy to make, these slightly sweetish and golden pav are perfect for pav bhaji, vada pav, egg bun, maska buns and dabeli.
Pav is the Hindi word for bread. It probably comes from the Portuguese word pão which means bread. And bread was introduced in India by the Portuguese.
Ladi means in a line, row or group. As these bread rolls are baked in a tray by placing the rolled dough close to each other. Thus the name Ladi Pav, also known as pao buns, ladi pao.
Memories – Ladi Pav vs Kenyan Scones
Growing up, I often enjoyed the soft pillowy, sweet, yellow bread that look so similar to ladi pav. In Kenya they are called scones. We use to get them from my dad’s friend who distributed the famous Elliot brand of bread. We all called him ‘Bread Uncle.’ Every Sunday he would bring a whole batch of these buttery scones, 12 of them in rows of 4. Elliot’s is recognized as Kenya’s oldest bread maker. First started in 1903!
When I went to India to study in Mt. Abu, for my first breakfast there we were served with these scone like small buns but were white in colour. That was my first introduction to the famous Indian Ladi Pav.
So whether it the Kenyan Scones, Indian Ladi Pav or just Dinner Rolls, I love this bread. Just love the soft buttery slightly warm pav with the bhaji whenever I visit India. Miss the egg buns that my daughter and I enjoyed near NIFT college in Bangalore. And those warm pav served with a thick layer of butter in the old Parsi joints in Mumbai… just wish I could catch a flight to India right away!
Some Vital Tips To Make Perfect Ladi Pav | Indian Bread Rolls
Hydrated Dough
The dough should be hydrated. This is important. If the dough is not sticky, tacky then the buns will not turn out soft. If you are kneading the dough by hand, don’t get tempted to add too much extra flour. Instead use the measured butter little by little. This helps to handle the dough easily. If you have a dough kneader, by all means use it. Keep adding blobs of the measured butter at intervals. This helps to make the dough smooth and silky.
Tight Balls
When you roll the initial big ball for fermenting make sure you shape it well using the sides of your palm and the work top. Create a tight ball. Watch the video for this process. When you divide the dough to make the rolls, again shape the dough into perfect balls. Again, please watch the video.
Use Correct Ingredients
Try and add all the ingredients as suggested. Extra sugar, butter, milk powder all help to make these rolls soft and fluffy.
Placement Of Dough Balls
Place the dough balls close to each other in a tray. On fermenting they will stick to each other, creating those soft sides that ladi pav is known for.
Correct Size Of The Baking Tray/Pan
Take the correct pan/tray/ tin. Several times I have taken the wrong pan for ladi pav and have landed up with rolls that are too far apart. This results in the sides too getting baked like the top. For 12 buns the ideal pan or tray size is 9 inches X 5 inches. Since I didn’t have a 9X5 inches tray, I used my 8X8 inch one. In that I can easily fit in 9 rolls.
Equal Size Balls For Ladi Pav
Make sure the divided dough for the buns is the same amount. Best way and tension free, is to weigh the dough and then calculate how much each bun should weigh. Weigh each piece. For this recipe I have not weighed the buns as at the moment I don’t have kitchen scales.
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Ingredients Required For Ladi Pav | Indian Bread Rolls
- Flour – all purpose flour, maida. If you are using plain flour (maida) in India then you need to add 2 tsp vital gluten to the flour and mix well. Need some extra flour for dusting.
- Yeast – I have used instant active dry yeast. If you use the the non instant variety then you need to ferment it before adding to the flour. Add yeast in about ¼ cup warm milk and 1 tsp sugar. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to ferment for 10 minutes. Then add it to the flour.
- Milk – the milk should be lukewarm.
- Milk Powder – helps to create soft rolls.
- Salt – I have used normal iodized salt. Use any of your choice.
- Sugar – helps to ferment the dough and adds flavour.
- Butter – soft but not melted. Required for the dough, extra for brushing on the baked rolls and some for greasing.
- Oil – any odourless oil. I use olive oil. Required to add to the dough.
Watch How To Make Ladi Pav | Indian Bread Rolls
LADI PAV | INDIAN BREAD ROLLS
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2¼ tsp instant active dry yeast
- 1¼ cups warm milk
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp milk powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp oil
- ¼ cup all purpose flour for dusting
- 1 tbsp milk for brushing
- extra butter for greasing
Instructions
- If you are using dry active yeast which is not instant then you need to ferment the yeast first. Take about ¼ cup of warm milk, add a bit of sugar and sprinkle the yeast over it. Cover it and place the mixture in a warm place for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes the mixture will become frothy.
- Add flour, salt and sugar and mix the flour. Add the instant dry active yeast. Mix the dough.
- Add oil and rub into the flour.
- Add the warm milk. Using a spatula mix everything together to form a shaggy dough.
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
- Dust the work top with some of the flour. Knead the dough for nearly 10 or 15 minutes using the heel of your palm. Keep on greasing you hands with the measured butter whenever the dough becomes too sticky. Don't get tempted to add lots of flour. By 15 minutes you should have used up the measured butter.
- The dough should be soft and silky.
- Alternately dust the bowl of your dough kneader with some flour. Transfer the dough to the dusted bowl.
- Allow the dough kneader to knead the dough for 10 minutes at medium speed.
- At intervals add 1 tbsp butter at a time.
- Dust the worktop with some flour.
- Using the sides of your palm slowly start tucking in the edges of the dough and at the same time shaping it into a ball.
- Grease a bowl lightly with extra butter. Rub little bit of butter over the kneaded dough. Place the dough into the greased bowl.
- Cover it with a cling film or lid and place it in a warm place till the dough becomes double the size. Mine took about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Dust the worktop with flour. Remove the fermented dough from the bowl. Deflate it gently.
- Divide the dough into quarters. Roll each piece into a ball. Shape it like a log.
- Cut each log into 3 parts. Alternately you can measure the dough on your kitchen scales and divide it into 12 equal parts.
- Take a piece of the dough, bring the edges together in the middle. Pinch the seams to close.
- Roll into a ball. Place on the flour dusted board and using your the edges of your palm tuck in the sides to create a tight ball.
- Grease the pan or tray with some butter. I have used a 8" X8" pan. This means I will be using only 9 dough balls.
- 2 parts I shaped into logs and placed in a small baking tray. This gives you an idea that the dinner rolls can be shaped the way you like. The extra 1 dough I baked as a single bun.
- Arrange 9 balls almost touching each other in the square pan/tray.
- Cover the tray with a damp cloth. Place it in a warm place for the rolls to rise till they are double the size. Mine took about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Brush the tops with the remaining 1 tbsp milk. Place the tray into the hot oven and bake the rolls for 15-18 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven.
- Cover the baked bread with a cloth for 5 minutes.
- This helps to soften the rolls.
- Remove the towel. Remove the buns from the tray and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Add more flour if the dough is too sticky to knead. However make sure the dough is not too hard. It should be soft.
- Use a kneading machine if you have one.
- Resting the dough for 10 minutes after adding the ingredients, helps the gluten to start working and the dough becomes easier to knead.
- If you are not going to use the buns immediately, store them in an airtight container to keep them soft.
- Add minced garlic, or a tsp of cumin seeds into the dough for flavoured buns.
- Make them into tiny buns for your kids lunch box.
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