Creamy Chicken Buns

For the dough:

8gr instant yeast

200gr warm milk (no more than 40oC)

15gr sugar

260gr strained Greek yogurt

85ml olive oil

500gr all purpose flour

Pinch of salt

For the filling:

2 grilled chicken breast fillets

1 red pepper

2 spring onions/scallions

Bechamel sauce:

40gr butter

30gr flour

200gr milk

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 pinch of black peppers no more than 40oC) no more than 40oC)

For the wash:

1 egg yolk

15gr milk

Sesame seeds (You can skip these but I wouldn’t, the taste profile of the buns is greatly enhanced by the seeds <3)

Method:

In a bowl with warm milk stir the sugar and sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the mixture.

After some seconds, stir it in and set aside to proof for 5-10 minutes or until tiny bubbles start to form on the surface.

In the meantime, in the bowl of your stand mixer mix the Greek yogurt with the olive oil.

In another bowl mix the all-purpose flour with the salt.

When the milk-yeast mixture is ready add it in the bowl of your stand mixer. With the dough hook mix for a while on low speed and add the flour-salt. Mix on low speed for 1 minute and then on low-medium speed for another 5 minutes (Or knead using your hands until you have a smooth dough). Don't mix any further since we don’t want the dough to be too glutinous and soft.

Flour your hands and a surface for kneading and transfer the dough to the floured surface. Knead for 1 more minute and form a dough ball.

Transfer the dough in an oiled bowl, cover every side of the dough with oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough proof for 1 hour or until double in size.

Meanwhile…

Chicken and Veggies:

Meanwhile prepare your filling. Grill or pan-fry your chicken if it’s not already grilled.

Slice it into small cubes

Veggies:

Cut the red pepper and the spring onions in cubes and pan-fry them.

Bechamel:

Add the butter in the pot and let it melt.

Add the flour and mix until you have a paste.

Add the milk, salt and pepper and mix until you get that bechamel consistency.

Add the grilled chicken and veggies into your bechamel and combine them well.

After the dough has doubled in size, punch it to degas it and transfer it to a floured surface.

Knead one more minute and then divide the dough in 2 equal dough balls.

Take 1 dough ball and flatten it with a rolling pin creating a round shape like pizza’s dough.

With a pizza cutter cut the round dough like a pizza. Most of the times I cut it into 12 pieces.

Add approximately 1 teaspoon of filling in the long side of each dough slice.

Cover the filling with the sides of the long side and roll to create a croissant shape.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and let the chicken buns on it, covered with plastic wrap, to proof for 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat your oven at 200 degrees Celsius (392F) and prepare your egg-wash by mixing the egg yolk with the milk.

After the second proof spread the wash on top of the buns and sprinkle sesame seeds on them (I love overdoing it with the sesame seeds)

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown (Your oven might be different than mine so it might take longer or less time)

Remove from the oven, transfer on a cooling rack and let them cool. (Or not. Go ahead and burn yourself with one of these devils! ^^ )

And don't eat; Savor!

Have a nice rest of the day and see you in my next recipe!