Apr 6, 20202 min read

Sri lankan Tea banis

Super soft sweet buns, just like in the bakery.

Ingredients

500g bread or plain flour ( with 3 tbsp separated )
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup warm milk / cream ( keep about ¼ cup reserve to add if the dough is too dry )
100g sugar
75g softened butter
1 tsp salt
½ cup packed raisins (optional)

Yeast Mixture

1pkt of Dry active yeast (7-10g)

1tbsp of Sugar

1/4 cup of lukewarm water or milk

Secret to this recipe

Making the tangzhong, its the magic.

(Tangzhong is a term used for a paste of flour cooked in water or milk which is used to improve the texture of bread,making it soft and fluffy)

In a saucepan combine ½ the milk & 3 tbsp of flour and whisk there are no lumps.

Heat gently on the stove until the mix thickens to a runny paste.(similar to a roux)

Set aside to cool.

Method

For the dough:

First make the yeast mixture, mix the ingredients all together and keep it aside in a warm place for 15min until frothy and bubbly.

In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, rest of the sugar, salt, egg, egg yolk & softened butter.

With the dough hook turned low, add the tangzhong and the milk / yeast mix into the flour & mix until the dough comes together. add a few tsp of milk if the dough looks to dry, or some flour if the mix seems too wet.

Knead for 10-15 more minutes on low ( remember to scrape the sides & the bottom of the bowl from time to time ). the dough should stick to the dough hook and the bottom of the bowl when kneading.the dough should be very soft & smooth, and a little shiny when you are done kneading.it is a little sticky, & when touched by your hand just slightly slicks to your fingers but comes of cleanly. Add the raisins in the last 5 minutes of kneading.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm to double the size for at least 1 hour.

Punch the risen dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Divide the dough into 8 portions and form balls and place them on a baking tray with parchment paper & leave plenty of room between the dough to make sure that they do not stick together. Cover loosely and let it rise for about 45 minutes to an hour.