Chicken Bread

Chicken bread combines the goodness of tender chicken with the comfort of freshly baked bread. A must-try!

Course Appetizer/Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword chicken bread, stuffed bread

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Resting Time 1

Total Time 1 45

Servings people

Calories 195kcal

2 cups all-purpose flour maida
1 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast See 'Notes' below for more info on instant dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp white sugar
1 egg whisked
1 tablespoon cooking oil
plain water as required (3-4 tbsp)

Take the all-purpose flour in a medium-sized bowl and add the dry ingredients like the yeast, salt, and sugar.
Mix in the cooking oil, egg and milk, and knead until a soft ball of dough forms. Use a few tablespoons of lukewarm water to bring it all together.
Let the dough rest, covered with a moist kitchen towel, for up to an hour or two, in a dark place like your pantry or oven.

While the dough is resting, heat the butter in a pan and add chopped onions. Sauté for 2 minutes or until the onions soften but still remain pink.
Add the all-purpose flour and cook it for about 2 minutes again.
Add the milk, salt, and black pepper. Stir well, bringing the flour together.
Add the cooked and shredded chicken as well as the chopped cilantro and green chilli if using. (See 'Notes' below if you want to know how to prep the chicken)
Stir for about 2-3 minutes or until most of the moisture has evaporated. Keep it aside.

Punch the dough and knead it lightly once again to smoothen it. Divide it into two halves if you want 2 medium sized loaves instead of a giant one.
Take one ball of dough and roll it out into a rectangular shape. Transfer it to a baking tray.
Place half of the chicken filling lengthwise in the center of the elongated dough.
Make straight cuts on both sides of the dough.
Fold the strips alternately over the filling to create the braid.
Brush the top with the egg and milk mixture and sprinkle some nigella seeds on top.
Repeat the same steps as above with the second ball of dough. Now you have two loaves on the same baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 356 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).
Place the baking tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake the bread for 25 minutes.
Once the tops are golden-brown, remove the tray from the oven and and serve while the bread is still warm.

For prepping the chicken, take one small chicken breast, slice it horizontally, and put it in a saucepan with 1 cup water. Bring it to a boil and lower the heat. Allow the chicken to cook until it is tender and all the water has evaporated. Once it has cooled down, take a fork and shred it.
Instant dry yeast is extremely convenient to use as it can be added as a dry powder in the dry ingredients. You don't have to activate it unlike active dry yeast. Look for yeast that says 'instant dry yeast.'
Nigella seeds, also known as kalonji, is commonly used in Indian and Pakistani cooking and can be found easily in supermarkets these days. They add a lovely flavor to baked goods. Substitute with sesame seeds if you don't have nigella.