"We Knead to Bake" Project - Green Chutney Chili and Cheese Pull-Apart Bread

I’ve said before that I’m not big on resolutions, but if there’s one thing I really need to improve, it’s blogging more consistently. I don’t lack ideas or motivation in the kitchen — cooking new and interesting dishes is never the problem. It’s everything that follows: sorting through photos (I could probably write an entire post about the pictures that never made it to the blog), finding the right words, creating flow, and finally putting the recipe together. You know the drill.

When I look at inspiring blogs like Panfusine, My Diverse Kitchen, and What’s for Lunch, Honey? — full of creativity and jaw-dropping food photography — I feel that familiar surge of motivation to get better at this self-imposed hobby. Unfortunately, that resolve often fades the moment I actually sit down to write. Cue writer’s block.

The unexpected solution came from my son.

My fifth grader, Nikhil, started blogging about a year and a half ago during the summer holidays. Like most things, it fizzled out once school began. The move to Singapore and starting at a new school turned out to be the perfect antidote. I encouraged him to document his memories and travels on his long-forgotten blog, and for a while, he did.

Interestingly, his new school introduced blogging as part of their writing and language arts curriculum. Each child created a blog and wrote about topics of their choice. To help them overcome writer’s block, the teachers used something called “picture prompts.” It was a brilliant idea — not only did it spark creativity, it also encouraged students to read, comment on, and critique each other’s work. Before long, Nikhil was blogging regularly, writing a few lines every other day. Homework or not, it was enough to build a habit. He’s also become quite serious about critiquing — including my blog posts, much to my amusement.

That’s when it clicked.

What I needed was a picture prompt of my own.

And that’s where the “We Knead to Bake” project came in. Started by Aparna Balasubramanian of My Diverse Kitchen, this group brings together like-minded baking enthusiasts to bake one bread a month throughout 2013. January’s theme was Herb and Cheese Pull-Apart Bread, and that became my prompt for the month.

I joined the group at the very end of January and just managed to squeeze in before the deadline — by the skin of my teeth. Even then, it took me an extra week to bake and post this recipe, which ideally should have gone up by the 24th. Clearly, meeting baking deadlines is another resolution I need to work on.

I’m linking this post to Aparna’s original theme announcement.

I followed the base recipe closely, making changes only to the filling. I used Amul cheese along with a green chili, mint, and cilantro chutney as the spread — my all-time favorite combination for grilled chili cheese toast.

I’ll be honest: I haven’t always had the best luck with bread baking. But this recipe worked beautifully. The dough was easy to handle, and the final texture was soft, flavorful, and just right.

Note:

I found that the original quantities of the filling were a little subtle for my taste. I’d recommend increasing the chutney and chili amounts so their flavors really come through. I’ve already doubled the quantities in the ingredient list below to reflect this adjustment.

I’m also still in the process of updating photos from my camera, so expect a picture refresh for this post soon.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 3/4 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
• 3/4 to 1 tsp garlic paste
• 3/4 cup milk
• A couple of tablespoons of milk for brushing

For the Filling

• 3 tbsp melted butter or a mix of extra-virgin olive oil and butter
• 1/4 cup thick green chutney (not watery)
  • (Blend 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup mint leaves, and 1/4–1/2 tsp black salt with minimal water)
• 2 tbsp crushed green chilies
  • (Use jalapeños or long green chilies for less heat; I used Thai chilies for extra spice)
• 3/4 cup grated Amul cheese

Method

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm milk. Set aside for about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns frothy.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, softened butter, and garlic paste. Add the yeast mixture and 3/4 cup milk, then knead until you have a soft, smooth, elastic dough that isn’t sticky. Add a little extra flour only if absolutely necessary.

3. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat evenly. Cover and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until almost doubled in volume.

4. Lightly flour your work surface. Deflate the dough and divide it into two portions. Return one portion to the bowl and keep it covered. Roll the other portion into a large rectangle.

5. Brush the rectangle generously with melted butter or olive oil. Spread the green chutney and chili mixture evenly over the surface.

Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough lengthwise into eight long strips. Stack the strips on top of one another, keeping the filling side up. If needed, place the end strips toward the center for a neater stack. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut straight down to divide the stack into six to eight square portions.

6. Roll out the second portion of dough into another large rectangle. Brush with butter or olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with grated Amul cheese. Cut into similar square stacks.

7. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 4-inch or 9 x 5-inch loaf tin. Layer the dough squares vertically, alternating between chutney-filled and cheese-filled stacks.

8. Cover the loaf tin with a towel and let the dough rise for about an hour. Lightly brush the top with milk.

9. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30–40 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and fully baked through.