Spread the love

I am sharing a long-awaited recipe of Mumbai Ladi Pav with step by step pictures and a video description. we often use this ladi pav with so many Indian dishes like pav bhaji, vada pav, misal pav, and dabeli. I had shared most of the recipes in my blog too. But we generally bring pav from the market as they are easily available.

My Army Life:

I also never tried making these pav bread from scratch till we got posted to Shillong, Shillong is a hill station in the northeastern part of India and the capital of Meghalaya. It is also known as Scotland of the east. Because of the mountain terrain and a very different culture, there is a vast difference in their cuisine. Though Shillong is famous for its bakeries, the culture is very westernized, and as a result of this, it is difficult to get some regular desi stuff there like Pav. During those times I had learned how to make these Ladi Pav from scratch.

My Army Life:
Tried and Tested Recipe
Essential Baking Equipment:
- What all we need to make these Pav?
- How to make it ?

Tried and Tested Recipe

I have developed this pav buns recipe over a period of time to get the best results. However, the recipe method makes use of the sponge or poolish method for leavening and the result is very soft & spongy pav. I added dry yeast to the recipe. However, fresh yeast can also be added. I use one more method to make Ladi pav in that sponge or poolish method is not involved, which I had explained in my video tutorial. Results are almost the same you try both the methods and use the one which suits you best.

However, commercially, pavs are always made with maida or all-purpose flour. At home, we can make these small bread rolls with whole wheat flour or other flour. I have made pavs with 100% whole wheat flour too. But unlike bread, the texture has denseness and a bit of chewiness.

These eggless ladi pavs are surprisingly simple to make and taste so much better than the store-bought ones. These golden pavs make a perfect meal when paired with bhaji.

Essential Baking Equipment:

While trying this recipe so many times I realised that in baking few essentials are extremely required like:

Good Oven– Yes! If you are a beginner and trying your hands on baking for the first time you should invest in a good oven (OTG) with even temperature and good temperature control I am using bajaj for decades now and it gives wonderful results.

But if you are not ready to spend that much then you can go for a hand mixer too. It is equally helpful and very handy too.

Silicone basting brush –

Moreover, it all depends upon personal choice. Coming back to the recipe I really enjoy making ladi pav at home. Although, I make stuffed ladi pav and multigrain pav too, the best is the one I made with all-purpose flour they are extremely soft and fluffy.

This bread is also known as the Mumbai ladi pavs – that are soft, spongy, and fluffy with a good flavour and hearty texture.

What all we need to make these Pav?

All-Purpose flour – the base for this recipe.

Salt – let’s flavour the pavs.

Butter + oil – for extra richness

Yeast – Use active dry yeast for this recipe. Please make sure the yeast is not expired.

Sugar – adding sugar will speed up the yeast activation process. Yeast will bloom faster if it has sugar.

Milk or Water – the most important ingredient. Make sure your liquid is lukewarm and not hot. If the liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

Baking Powder – makes a huge difference. Ladi pavs are baked with some baking powder to achieve a soft, amazing texture.

Moreover, a few recipe suggestions from my blog

How to make it ?

Directions

In a bowl take 1 cup of all-purpose flour, baking powder, yeast and sugar.
Add 1 cup warm water.
Stir or whisk to make a smooth thick batter.
Cover and keep the bowl for 30 to 40 minutes till you see a bubbly u0026 frothy mixture. The batter would also have risen. The below pic shows the consistency. This is the sponge starter.
Add oil, salt, and 1 cup flour. Mix with a spoon or spatula.
Add 1 cup flour again.
Mix and then begin to knead. If the dough appears sticky then you can add about ¼ to ½ cup flour. The proportion of water to be added depends on the quality of the flour. Overall I added 3.25 cups of flour and 1 cup of water.
Knead to a smooth pliable dough.
Leavening pav dough
Spread oil or butter all over the dough. Cover the bowl with a kitchen cotton napkin or a lid and keep the bread to leaven for 20 to 25 minutes. The leavening time depends on the type of yeast used u0026 the temperature conditions. For instant and fresh yeast, 20 to 25 minutes of the first rise is enough. For dry active yeast, you will have to keep for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or more
The risen u0026 doubled pav dough.
Gently punch and deflate the dough and form a log.
Slice the log into equal sizes.
Take each slice and roll between your palms to get a smooth round roll.
Baking pav
Make rolls this way and place them in a greased tray keeping 1-inch space between all of them. Cover and allow the second rise for 25 to 30 minutes. The small loaves would increase in size.
Then brush the pavs buns with some milk. This gives a golden color to laadi pav.
Place the baking tray with the pavs in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius for 25 to 30 mins or till the tops turn golden and the pavs sound hollow on tapping.
Remove the pav buns from the tray and place them on a wire rack or tray, so that they don’t become softened and moist from the bottom due to heat condensation. brush melted butter or spread softened butter on top of the pavs for a glaze. This is an optional step.

★★★★★