Breadmaker Roti Benggali

When I was a kid, on weekends when we went to visit my brother in boarding school, we’d stop by a market in Batu Enam to buy Bengali bread rolls filled with kaya. The bread was simple, soft but not milky, and the kaya was the cheapo diluted type unlike the fancy gourmet ones we see which uses premium ingredients. But I remembered how warm and fragrant they were, freshly baked just in time for afternoon tea, and one roll was never enough.

The basic Benggali bread can be shaped into a plain sandwich loaf, or portioned into rolls with your preferred fillings. This was my tribute to the kaya rolls from my childhood, and gosh these were so darn good, despite the rather ugly shapes. I’m very happy with the flavor but still tweaking the rest times, so will be updating this recipe with new instructions and pictures from time to time.

Based on the recipe from Dari Dapur. Don’t forget the black coffee. ⁣

In your breadmaker pan, add the water, egg yolk, and shortening.

Add the flour, sugar, milk powder, yeast, bread improver, and salt.

Transfer the breadmaker pan to your breadmaker, and start the Dough cycle. In my Kenwood BM450 this program takes 1 hour 30 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a clean work surface.

Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces.

Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape and roll into a smooth ball.

Roll the dough into a 4- by 6-inch rectangle.

Spread with 1 to 2 tablespoons kaya, to taste.

Starting from the bottom edge, roll upwards into a tight log.

Arrange the rolls in a lightly greased baking tray or lined with parchment.

Cover and let rest, until doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C (fan 150 degrees C). Place the rack on the bottom rung of the oven.

Transfer the baking tin to the oven and bake, until rolls are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!