Homemade Eggless Pav

It's been over a year since I've stopped at a stall and eaten a typical Mumbai Vada Pav tension-free. It also happened to rain when I made this pav recipe. Sooo like any other typical Mumbaikar I convinced my mom to make vada and we enjoyed our evening gorging on them. A spicy vada pav in one hand and a cup of hot chai in another is the solution to my bad days. Even better if I a lucky enough to get a seat on the bench outside the stall. Urghhh, can this Covid fever go already!?! Because this is the longest I've gone without having a vada pav and I don't think I can take it anymore.

I have two favourite spots for vada pav. First is from my school canteen. I remember saving my pocket money to eat that one vada pav from the canteen every week. It was the perfect balance of spicy and the freshly fried crispy vadas.... my mouth is watering already just thinking about them. Once I left school, my friend took me to Bhau Vada Pav. If you're ever in Mumbai, you have to try it! and if you're a Mumbaikar you already know what I am talking about.

Enough obsessing over vada pav now. What's the first dish that comes to your mind when you think of pav ? You know mine by now and I am pretty sure after reading and seeing these delicious vada pavs I am going to leave you craving for them too!

Let's get back to Pav.

There are not much tips to be given for this recipe or any bread recipe for that matter. Most bread doughs are almost the same. The measurements might vary for a few, but apart from that once you perfect a basic bread dough, you're good to go! You just need to shape them accordingly.

If you are a first time bread baker, these are the two most basic things to keep in mind :

1. Never alter the measurements of the ingredients mentioned.

2. Always stick to the recipe given by the baker.

This recipe uses instant dry yeast. Incase you're not sure if your yeast is alive, here's how to find out :

Sprinkle 2 tsp yeast in 1/2 cup warm water along with 1 tsp sugar. Mix until yeast dissolves and leave it aside for 10 minutes. If your yeast mix starts to bubble and increase in volume, it's alive. If not, you gotta buy another packet of yeast.

If you do not have instant dry yeast, you can add active dry yeast instead. You have to bloom the yeast beforehand. You can use the same method mentioned above (i.e for checking the yeast) and then pour the yeast mixture in the flour mix.

While mixing the ingredients, make sure that yeast doesn't come directly in contact with salt. The salt will kill yeast leading to the dough not rising.

How to store yeast? Always store yeast in your refrigerator. Never the freezer.

Let's get started :

1. Combine all the ingredients (except butter) together and knead till you get a soft smooth dough.

2. Now add the softened butter and keep kneading till it incorporates well. Avoid adding too much extra flour at this stage.

3. Transfer the dough in a clean greased bowl. Cover and keep it in a warm place. Let it ferment for an hour or until it doubles in size.

4. Your dough will look something like this.

5. Punch your dough and deflate the air. Now divide into 9-12 equal portions depending on the desired size.

6. Shape them and place them in a greased baking tray. Not too far from each other.

7. Cover and keep it in a warm place to proof for about another hour or until double in size.

8. Now lightly brush them with milk wash (milk and sugar mixture).

9. Bake them at 180 C for 30 mins.

10. Demould very carefully while they are warm and set them on a cooling rack to cool. Do not leave them in the baking tray for too long or else they'll become soggy.

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HOMEMADE EGGLESS PAV

Prep Time : 30 mins

Resting Time : 2 hours

Total Time : 2 hours 30 mins

Yields : 9 medium-sized buns

Ingredients :

Milk- 1 & 1/4 cup

Sugar - 2 tsp

Yeast - 7 gm (1 packet)

Flour - 450 gm

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Softened butter - 2 tbsp (30 gm)

Method :

1. Knead flour, salt, sugar, yeast, milk and form a smooth soft dough.

2. Add softened butter and knead until butter is incorporated well.

Try to avoid adding excess flour as much as possible. Continuous kneading will help you form a dough easily.

3. Transfer the dough in a clean well-greased bowl.

4. Cover and keep it in a warm place. Rest it for an hour or until it doubles in size.

5. Punch the dough to deflate the air. Divide into 9-12 equal portions depending on the desired size.

6. Shape them into balls and place them in a greased baking tray.

Not too far from each other.

7. Cover and keep it in a warm place to proof for another hour or until it doubles in size.

8. Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 180 C.

9. Once proving is done, lightly brush the pav with milk wash (milk and sugar mix).

10. Bake at 180 C for 30 mins.

11. Demould them while they are warm. Leave them to cool on a cooling rack.

Leaving the pav in the baking tray for too long will make them soggy.

12. Your pav is ready!

Make these right now and let me know if you liked them!