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Ladi pav
Soft pull-apart bread rolls
लादी पाव: soft, milky Mumbai-style pull-apart rolls baked touching in one tray in a home oven (plus 1¾ hours rising)
IndianPav came to Mumbai with the Portuguese and was taken up by the city's Goan and Irani bakeries, and today it is the bread every street snack depends on: vada pav, misal pav, bhurji pav, dabeli and pav bhaji. A ladi is a slab of rolls baked touching each other, so their sides stay pale and fluffy and they tear apart with soft white edges and a thin golden top. This home version uses milk and a little butter for a tender, slightly sweet crumb that holds up to a buttery tawa toast. It bakes in an ordinary oven at 190 °C (170 °C fan). Common mistake: baking the pav too long or too hot, so the crust turns hard and brown; take it out the moment the tops are golden and brush with butter at once. Chef's tip: cover the hot ladi with a clean cloth as it cools; the trapped steam is what gives that typical bakery softness.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flouror plain flour (maida)
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup whole milklukewarm
- ¾ cup waterlukewarm, plus 1–2 tbsp if needed
- 1 ⅜ oz unsalted buttersoftened
For the tin and topping
- 1 tsp sunflower oilfor the bowl and tin
- 1 tbsp whole milkfor brushing
- ½ oz buttermelted
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add ¾ cup whole milk and ¾ cup water and bring it together into a shaggy, slightly sticky dough.
3 minStep 2: Knead for 5 minutes, then work in 1 ⅜ oz unsalted butter a little at a time and knead for another 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and stretches into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing.
15 minStep 3: Put the dough in a bowl greased with a little of the ½ tsp sunflower oil, cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
60 minStep 4: Grease a 23 × 23 cm square tin with the remaining ½ tsp sunflower oil. Knock back the dough and divide it into 16 equal pieces of about 55 g.
5 minStep 5: Shape each piece into a tight, smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath and rolling it under your cupped hand on the counter. Arrange them in the tin in 4 rows of 4, just touching.
10 minStep 6: Cover and leave to rise for 40–45 minutes, until the rolls are puffy, pressed tightly together and fill the tin. Meanwhile heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).
45 minStep 7: Brush the tops gently with 1 tbsp whole milk and bake on the middle shelf for 18–20 minutes, until the tops are evenly golden and the rolls sound hollow when tapped underneath (about 203°F inside).
20 minStep 8: Brush with ½ oz butter as soon as the tin comes out, turn the ladi out onto a rack and cover it with a clean cloth while it cools, so the crust softens. Pull apart to serve.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 53 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ladi pav take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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