This Indian Masala Buns Recipe is an easy recipe to make delicious Masala Bun Iyengar Bakery style or as these are called, Iyengar Bakery Khara Bun. We mix in spice masala that has mint, green chilies and red chili flakes. You can enjoy these as such!
Iyengar Bakery Khara Buns are quite popular across local bakeries. I am not sure if these Indian style buns got popular because of Iyengar Bakery or all the local bakers got some inspiration somehow and ended up making similar buns. However, these spicy masala buns are something you will find for sure across local bakeries.
Whenever I shop at the Nilgris supermarket, I buy their masala buns and they are quite delicious. Recently when we visited our inlaws, they suggested we pack some masala buns for our return journey as buns are easy to handle during travels.
I found those masala buns super delicious as it was spicy and all you needed was a dash of table butter to enhance the taste!
While planning for the last week of Bake-a-thon 2021, I planned on baking breads. I am glad on this pretext I am able to share recipes for this soft Milk Bread and the easiest Focaccia Bread
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Ingredients used
This is a bun made uses All Purpose Flour with Tangzhong Mix and it yields a soft bun.
The recipe uses green chilies, mint leaves along with red chili flakes.
Instructions to Bake ~ Step By Step Pictures
For the Spice Masala
Finely chop the green chilies and mint and keep it aside.
For the Tangzhong Mix
In a pan add milk and flour together. Whisk it on medium flame till you get a thick slurry. Make sure there are no lumps. Keep it aside for cooling.
How to get the dough ready for Masala Buns
Take a mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour and salt and keep them aside.
Since I am using instant active yeast, I warmed the milk and added the yeast, sugar, gave a quick stir, and added to the flour.
Else if you are using dried yeast, you will have to proof it by letting it rest for 10 minutes in warm water/milk to activate the yeast.
Warm the milk to knead the flour together, mix the tangzhong mix, yeast mix, salt together and knead well.
Transfer to a working top, start kneading with the stretch and fold method, and add oil as required to get a smooth dough.
Oil the bowl and place the dough in it. Let it rest in the oven for 1.5 hours or until it doubles.
After first Rise
Once the dough doubles, punch down the dough. Add the soft butter, knead well to incorporate the butter.
Next add the spice masala to the dough and knead it well.
The dough is extremely sticky, so you can grease your palm with butter to handle the dough.
Pinch out equal size balls, tuck the sides inside and place them with enough gap on a greased baking tray for the dough to rise again.
Keep it covered for 30 to 40 minutes for the buns to rise again.
Baking the Buns
Preheat the oven to 200 C, keep the tray to bake for 20 minutes.
When done, brush the top with soft butter.
Serve with soup or enjoy as such!
Substitutions you can make
Let the dough sit for more than 2 hours for a good rise, in which case you can easily replace the refined flour with whole wheat flour.
Instead of adding the spice directly, you can make a paste and add to the dough as well.
This is an eggless bread, which you can easily make it vegan by replacing milk with warm water.
Variations you can try
This is a basic recipe you can use to create new variations.
- Spicy - Add more chili pepper flakes while kneading to make it spicier
- Adults - Add vegetables or a stuffing to make stuffed buns you can serve for a meal
- Kid friendly - Stuff with cheese for a delightful cheesy bun
Storage / Shelf Life for these Indian Masala Buns Recipe
These buns stay good at room temperature. If you refrigerate, then you can store this for 3 to 4 days, simply reheat by microwaving it for few seconds
Other Buns you'll love!
- Chinese Steamed Bao Buns
- Vegan Whole Wheat Savory Buns
- Savory Twisted Buns
- Masala Kara Bun
- Chinese Steamed Flower Buns
- Hot Cross Buns
- Homemade Pav Buns
Recipe
Indian Masala Buns Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Kneading sheet
- Square Baking Tray
Ingredients
Ingredients for Khara Bun Recipe
For the Bread
- 200 grams All Purpose flour / Maida
- 1 teaspoon Instant Active Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 5 - 6 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 120 ml Milk you can use warm water as well
- 1 tablespoon Butter
For Tangzhong
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1 tablespoon All Purpose flour / Maida
For the Spice Masala
- 2 teaspoon Mint Leaves
- 2 Green Chilies
- 1 teaspoon Chili Flakes
For Topping
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mixed Italian Herbs
Instructions
Instructions to make Bakery Style Masala bun
For the Spice Masala
- Finely chop the green chilies and mint and keep it aside.
For the Tangzhong Mix
- In a pan add milk and flour together. Whisk it on medium flame till you get a thick slurry. Make sure there are no lumps. Keep it aside for cooling.
How to get the dough ready for Masala Buns
- Take a mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour and salt and keep them aside.
- Since I am using instant active yeast, I warmed the milk and added the yeast, sugar, gave a quick stir, and added to the flour.
- Else if you are using dried yeast, you will have to proof it by letting it rest for 10 minutes in warm water/milk to activate the yeast.
- Warm the milk to knead the flour together, mix the tangzhong mix, yeast mix, salt together and knead well.
- Transfer to a working top, start kneading with the stretch and fold method, and add oil as required to get a smooth dough.
- Oil the bowl and place the dough in it. Let it rest in the oven for 1.5 hours or until it doubles.
After the first Rise
- Once the dough doubles, punch down the dough. Add the soft butter, knead well to incorporate the butter.
- Next, add the spice masala to the dough and knead it well.
- The dough is extremely sticky, so you can grease your palm with butter to handle the dough.
- Pinch out equal size balls, tuck the sides inside and place them with enough gap on a greased baking tray for the dough to rise again.
- Keep it covered for 30 to 40 minutes for the buns to rise again.
Baking the Buns
- Preheat the oven to 200 C, keep the tray to bake for 20 minutes.
- When done, brush the top with soft butter.
- Serve with soup or enjoy as such!
Radha says
These khara buns are delicious! Nostalgia! Miss the aroma of breads from bakeries...your recipe is a keeper!
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says
All I need is a bowl of soup and I would devour those soft khara buns...