Stuffed Bread Pockets

Amazingly soft and delicious bread pockets. Serve it for breakfast, pack it in lunch boxes or have it at meal time.

You can use any stuffing you like, only care should be taken that the stuffing is absolutely dry.

Two most important things in bread making are: the temperature of water in which you will be activating the yeast. Water should be just warm, approx. 48 to 54 degrees Celsius .

Second is kneading. You have to knead it for 10. -12 minutes for the gluten to develop, which helps the buns or any bread for that matter to rise. 

This stuffing is mildly spicy. You can alter it as per your taste. 

Please read the entire recipe including notes before you start.

Ingredients:

For Stuffing : 

Oil                           1 tbsp

Onion                       1/2 cup chopped finely

Garlic crushed           1 1/2 tsp

Cumin                       1/2 tsp

Bell peppers              1 cup ( use all three colors)

Paneer                      150 gms ( cottage cheese)

Frozen corn                1 cup

Fenugreek leaves        1 cup

Chilly flakes               1 1/2 tsp

Salt.                          To taste 

Jalapeños                   1 finely chopped

Olives                        10 quartered

For bread pockets

Active dry instant  Yeast   2 1/2 tsp

Sugar                              1 tbsp

 Warm water                   1 cup 

All Purpose Flour              3 cups

Salt                                 1 tsp

Garlic                              1 tbsp

Carom seeds                    1 tsp ( ajwain)

Oil                                  2 tbsp  + for brushing

Milk                                 For brushing

Method :

For stuffing :

1. Wash and finely chop fenugreek leaves. Keep in a colander to drain off all water.
2. Finely chop bell peppers.
3. Cut paneer into very small cubes.
4. Thaw frozen corn.
5. Heat oil in a pan.
6. Crackle cumin.
7. Tip in garlic and onion.
8. Sauté till onion turns soft and pink.
9. Tip in bell peppers. Sauté for a minute.
10. Add in corn, paneer and fenugreek leaves. Stir to mix.
11. Add salt and chilly flakes.
12. Mix and cook on high so that the mixture dries out completely.
13. Remove from fire , mix in jalapeños and olives. Mix well   and let it cool.
14. Taste and adjust salt .
15. Now your filling is ready.

For bread pockets: 

1. Place 2 cups flour in a large bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre.
3. Sprinkle salt on the sides of flour , away from the well.
4. Mix oil in water.
5. Sprinkle sugar in the well.
6. Over the sugar sprinkle yeast.
7. Pour water - oil mixture into the well.
8. Slowly blend in the flour, till all the flour is incorporated.
9. At this time the dough will be very sticky.
10. Tip it on a well floured counter top.
11. Add more flour little by little and keep kneading.
12. Keep adding flour till the dough no longer sticks to the counter top, it might still stick very little to your hands .
13. Care should be taken to not add too much flour.  I used 2 tbsp flour more than mentioned above. 
14. There will be a slight variation in the total amount of flour used because of the quality of the flour and weather conditions.
15. Now knead till the dough is elastic and soft like baby's  bottom.
16. If kneading by hand then knead for 10-12 minutes.
17. Now   grease a large bowl and  put the ready dough into the bowl and turn the dough over so as to grease it from all sides. Cover with a cling film and let it sit un disturbed in a warm and draft free place till it doubles in size, anywhere between an hour to hour and a half depending on the temperature of your kitchen .
18.  To check if the dough has risen enough, push your finger , into the dough upto your second knuckle. If the indention remains when you remove your finger then it is ready else let it rise for some more time.
19. Once the dough has doubled, turn it onto a floured surface and punch it .
20. Add garlic and carom seeds.
21. Knead for a couple of minutes to release all the trapped air and incorporate garlic and carom seeds properly.
22. Cover it and let it rest for 5 minutes.
23. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts.
24. On a floured surface roll it out into a 9" long and 5 " wide oblong disk.
25. Place 3 -4 tbsp of stuffing in the centre .
26. Lift one long side over the stuffing. 
27. Now lift the other side and place it over the first. Press lightly to seal.
28. Lift both the ends , place over the stuffing and seal properly.
29. Carefully lift and place it , sealed side down, an a silicon mat on which it is to be baked.
30. Repeat with remaining balls.
31. Place each pocket about 2" away from the other.
32. Brush with oil. Cover and leave them for second prove, till they double in size.
33. Anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes.
34. Brush them with milk and bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes till golden.
35. After 15 minutes you can turn sides so that both sides turn golden.
36. Once done remove on a wire rack.
37. Brush with melted butter or extra virgin olive oil for softer crust.

Note : 

1. if you are using active dry yeast then in warm water mix sugar. Now sprinkle yeast and mix it lightly.
2. Keep it in a warm place  for 10 minutes. You will see yeast would have ballooned by now.
3. Pour the oil into the well. Now pour yeast water mixture  in the well and proceed.
4. In this case you don't sprinkle sugar in the well.