Pao

Pao is not an Indian bread. It was introduced to us by the Portuguese. We have adopted this bread so well that we have many Indian dishes that are incomplete without pav. Be it the spicy wada pao of Bombay, the chatpati dabeli of Gujarat, the sweet double ka meetha of Hyderabad or the savory choris pao of Goa. Pao has become a part of our daily routine! 

For Goans, especially, most meals are not complete without pao. We Goans are spoilt in that we get fresh warm bread delivered to our homes twice a day. We wake up to the sound of the poder’s (bread seller) horn. Being away from home, I definitely miss the warm bread that we got to enjoy at least once a day.

They say making bread is an art and takes years of practice. There is no denying that. However, there is always a short cut! Here is a simple recipe to make this daunting task easy. This is a vegetarian recipe with no eggs or butter. Enjoy with a little less guilt!

What you will need:

Ingredients	Quantity
All Purpose Flour	3 cups
Fast Rise Yeast	2 teaspoons
Salt	1 teaspoon
Sugar	2 teaspoons
Warm Water	Around 1 cup

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Serving: Makes 12 pav

How to make it:

• Mix the all purpose flour, salt, fast rising yeast, and sugar,  together in a mixing bowl. 
• Now add warm water, little at a time and knead into a soft dough. I used my kitchen aid for this step with the hook attachment. 
• When the dough comes together, add the oil and knead for another 5 minutes. 
• Make sure that the dough is stringy when you pull it apart. 
• Roll into a ball and set aside to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes. 
• In the mean time, preheat the over to 450 degree F.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, deflate it and form small round shapes of a desired size. Try to roll the dough from the top to bottom so that you get a smooth upper surface. 
• Grease a baking pan and dust it with some flour. 
• Arrange the dough balls next to each other, leaving at least an inch space in between. 
• Cover the dough balls and set aside for proofing for another 30 minutes. 
• You will notice that the dough has expanded and the individual pao are touching each other. 
• Brush the top with some oil. 
• Bake it in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the pao is golden brown on the top. 
• Let the pao sit for at least 15 minutes before eating.