Those who are familiar with Iyengar Bakeries of Bangalore must have tried these sweet breads sometime or the other. Dilkhush is a white bread stuffed with fresh coconut, sugar, cashews, raisins and lots of tutti fruity.
Reminiscing about our Bangalore days while typing out this recipe. My husband is very fond of Dilkhush.
This recipe is a healthier version . I have not used tutti fruity at all as I don't like them because of the amount of color that goes into them. These have been replaced with dried fruits like mango, peaches and strawberries. Infact the tang of strawberries kind of balances all the sweetness .
I have made these using whole wheat flour and semolina. Sugar has been replaced with jaggery powder. These are mildly sweet so you can increase jaggery by a tbsp, if you want.
I have added ginger powder , which can be replaced with Cardamom powder.
If your suji is not fine ,churn it in the mixer so that you get very fine granules flour.
I have used autolyse method here, which not only helps in developing the gluten better but also reduces the kneading time.
I have used instant yeast, if you don't have instant yeast then you can use active dry yeast. Bloom it in 2 tbsp of lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar.
The dough should be very sticky when you start kneading, if you find it's not add water one tbsp at a time. If it's difficult to knead, oil your hands. In this way incorporate the oil ( mentioned ) into the dough.
The key to a soft crumb is hydration of the dough. Having said that , the quantity of liquid needed differs from flour to flour and also weather conditions. The liquid mentioned in the recipe is to give you an idea , approximately how much would you need.
Ingredients
Semolina Flour 105 gms
Whole Wheat Flour 105 gms
Milk Powder 2 tbsp
Honey 1 tbsp
Yeast 1/2 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Milk + water 170 ml
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1tbsp + extra for brushing
Milk for brushing
Stuffing
Fresh Coconut 1 cup (100 gms) grated
Dried Mango 1/4 cup
Dried Strawberry 1/4 cup
Dried Peaches 1/4 cup
Raisins 1/4 cup
Cashew 1/4 cup
Jaggery Powder 1/4 cup+ 2 tbsp
Ginger Powder 1 tsp
Method
Stuffing
Chop all the dried fruits and cashews into small pieces. Mix all the ingredients mentioned under stuffing and keep it aside.
Bread
Mix the two flours.
Add in milk and mix well. Now add water little by little till no dry flour is left.
Mix everything well.
Cover with a cling film and let it rest for 11/2 to 2 hours.
Sanitize your counter top with a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar.
Transfer the dough to the counter top.
Sprinkle yeast and honey , mix well into the dough.
Now sprinkle salt.
Knead the dough through stretch and fold method for 10 - 12 minutes.
If you still find the dough stiff, add a tbsp of water at a time, till the dough becomes sticky
Use oil while kneading the dough.
Your dough is well kneaded when it's becomes smooth and supple like a baby's bottom.
Grease a large bowl ,place the dough in this bowl.
Turn the dough over so that it is coated with oil on all sides.
Cover with cling film and keep it at a draft free place.
Wait for it to double in size.
It will take anywhere between 1 to 2 hours.
Mine was done in 1.5 hours.
Take a large baking sheet. Line it with parchment paper or silicon mat.
Once the dough has proofed, carefully tranfer it to counter top.
Press it lightly to release all gas.
Divide the dough into four equal portions. These would be roughly 100 gms each.
Roll each piece into a ball.
Dust the counter top and roll out one ball into a 6" diameter disc.
Place half of the stuffing on it leaving a 1/4" margin all around.
Roll another ball into 6" disc and place it on top of the previous one.
This one would be slightly smaller than the previous one.
Pull upward the edges of the lower disc and press the edges as shown in the picture.
Lift it carefully and place it on the prepared baking sheet, seam side down.
Brush it with oil.
Repeat the process with the remaining two balls of dough.
Cover them with cling film.
They will double in size in somewhere 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
Brush the Dilkhush generously with milk.
Bake them until nice and golden.
Mine were done in 20 minutes.
If you have a bread thermometer , then check using that. The internal temperature should read 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove them to a wire rack.
Brush them with butter or oil.
Let it cool completely.
Now slice into wedges and enjoy with a cup of tea/coffee.
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