Stuffed Braided Bread

Quantity: 2 breads
Ingredients:

• Maida/ All Purpose flour: 1 cup
• Baking pwd: 1/2 tsp
• Yogurt: 2 tbsp
• Salt: 1/2 tsp
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Dry Yeast: 1 tsp
• Milk: 1/3 cup 
• Oil/Butter: 1-2 tbsp
• For Filling:
• Boiled Potatoes: 2 (medium) (peeled and mashed)
• Onion: 1 (chopped)
• Tomatoes: 2 (chopped)
• Oil: 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
• Green chilli: 1 (chopped)
• Chana daal: 1 tbsp (optional)
• Cheese (grated)
• Salt: to taste
• Garam masala: 1 tsp
• Turmeric pwd: 1/2 tsp
• Mango pwd/ amchoor: 1-2 tsp (optional)
• Coriander leaves (chopped ) (optional)
• For brushing:
• Sesame seeds  (optional)
• Milk: 2 tbsp
• Butter

Method:

• For Yeast Mixture: 
• In a bowl, add dry yeast, sugar and 2 tbsp of warm water. Cover and Let it rest for 10 mins
• Preparing dough:
• In a flat pan, seive maida and baking pwd. Add salt, yogurt, butter/ oil and yeast mixture. Mix them roughly with hand.
• Now slowly add milk with one hand and knead a soft dough with other hand. (Add only sufficient quantity of milk to make dough)
• Knead it for 5-7 mins until the dough springs back when you touch it. Now, slightly oil the surface of dough. Cover it and keep it aside at warm place for 1 hour (or until the dough doubles in quantity)
• Preparing filling:

• Heat oil in pan. Add mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
• Add chana daal. Cook it for 5-7 mins.
• Add green chilli, onions and cook till onions turn translucent.
• Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric pwd, garam masala. Cook for 5-7 mins until tomatoes are done.
• Add boiled potatoes and amchoor. Mix well. Sprinkle some coriander leaves.
• Keep it aside.

• Making Stuffed Braided Bread:
• When the dough is ready after 1 hour (that is, it doubles in size), Knead the dough again for 1-2 mins. 
• Make 2 balls of equal size from the dough.
• Sprinkle some flour on the kitchen shelf/ rolling board (where you will make oval shaped chapati )
• Take 1 ball and roll it to form an oval shape on the kitchen shelf/ rolling board. Use flour for dusting. (Don't use oil while making oval shaped chapati because the chapati dough will stick to the surface)
• Put stuffing in the center of the oval shaped chapati, leaving space on the sides of chapati. And sprinkle some cheese on stuffing.
• With pizza cutter/ sharp knife, make cuts/ slits in the feather fashion on both sides of chapati. (In the first half of chapati, put slits in one direction and in the other half, put slits in other direction )
• Make sure you put equal number of slits on both sides of chapati. (Uneven number of slits will make braiding difficult)

• Braiding:
• Fold the top and bottom of the chapati towards the filling. Now, start folding the strips one by one on each side and lapping them . (First Left strip then right strip, again left and then right strip and so on) . Continue braiding until you finish all the strips.

• Lightly dust the baking tray with flour. Place the braided bread on the baking tray.
• Cover with wet cloth/ cling film and keep aside the braided bread for 30 mins- 1 hour for second rise.
• Meanwhile, Preheat the oven to 190 deg C.
• After 30 mins, brush the braided bread with milk and sprinkle some sesame seeds on it.
• Bake for 20- 30 mins or until the bread turns brown.
• Now, when the bread is ready, brush it with butter. Let it cool for 5 mins.
• Slice into pieces and Serve.

PS:

• You can use any vegetables in stuffing like paneer, capsicum, peas.
• Baking time may vary depending upon oven.