Stuffed Chicken Bread

Stuffed flatbreads of all sorts, be it naans or parathas, are very popular in Pakistan. This particular yeast leavened Stuffed Chicken Bread is more a fusion of Western technique with desi flavours. Different major local bakeries make their own versions and sell at a pretty high price.

I grew up loving this yummy snack and now my daughters are crazy about it. Well, it’s kind of difficult to resist the delicious, spicy chicken filling incased in a soft white bread loaf!

Getting the softness of bread right is very important for this recipe. A soft and sticky dough makes a soft loaf of bread because its the liquid in the dough along with the yeast that makes the dough rise.

Always check the expiry date of yeast before using. Old and exposed yeast can ruin all your efforts.

You can be creative with filling and add cheese, boiled eggs, vegetables, mushrooms and your favourite herbs to it.

You can wrap and keep the loaves in fridge for 3-4 days for a quick school/office lunchbox fix with some salad. Or make ahead for a festive occasion. Just make sure to bake atleast four because these vanish pretty fast!

4 cups plain flour + 1 more for kneading the dough and dusting the worktop
1 heaped tablespoon instant dry yeast
1 teaspoon dried oregano ( optional)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted butter
3-4 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
1+1/2 cup lukewarm water

1/2 kg boneless chicken or chicken mince
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
2 green chilli peppers, chopped
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons oil

Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, oregano, butter, milk and egg in a big mixing bowl. Knead the dough with lukewarm water for 5-6 minutes. Gradually add the water till you get soft dough. It will be gluey and sticky at this point.

Cover the dough and let it rise for an hour.

Heat oil in a medium frying pan. Add onions and garlic, sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add chicken, salt, black peppers, red chilli flakes and cumin seeds. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover the pan and let simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes or till the chicken is cooked.

Add green chillies, coriander and tomato ketchup. Cook uncovered till all the moisture evaporates.

Let the chicken mix cool down to room temperature before stuffing it into the bread. If using chicken pieces instead of mince, shred them at this point.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Generously dust a worktop with flour. Knead the dough again for 2 minutes adding a little dry flour at a time to make it firm enough to roll out.

Divide the dough into two parts. Roll the dough into an oval or rectangular shape of 1/4 inch thickness.

Spread the chicken mix in the centre lengthwise.

Make slanting cuts almost 1+1/2 inch apart on both sides. Fold these cuts over the chicken mix, overlapping each other to make a braided pattern.

Repeat with the remaining dough and chicken to make another bread.

Lightly oil an oven proof tray, carefully place the bread loaves over it.

Brush the loaves with egg. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Leave the bread to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. If you like soft crust, as soon as the bread comes out of the over, cover it with a damp kitchen towel for 5 minutes. When room temperature, brush a little ketchup on top (optional).

Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes a complete meal served with your favourite salad and sauce. Tastes great with Russian salad, mustard sauce and chilli garlic sauce.

Serves 8