Sri Lankan Fish Buns (Bakery Style)
Ultra-soft fish buns with spiced mackerel and potato filling. The secret? Bread flour + milk creates bakery-quality, brioche-like texture that melts in your mouth.
Equipment
- 2 large baking tray
Ingredients
Fish Filling
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 stalk curry leaves chopped
- 2 green chillies chopped
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp raw curry powder
- 1 tsp salt or as needed
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 can mackerel (443g) or 2 cans of tuna
- 3 medium potatoes about 450-500 g
Dough
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 450 g bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
Finishing
- 1 egg beaten with splash of water (egg wash)
- sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
Make the filling:
- Start by boiling the potatoes. Wash them and add to a pan with enough water to cover. Season the water with 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook for 15–20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a knife or fork. Drain, let cool slightly, then peel.Mash the potatoes roughly and set aside.
- Next, open the canned fish and drain off the liquid. Take out the fish fillets and remove any large bones and the slimy skin.
- Saute chopped onions, ginger, garlic, curry leaves until soft and aromatic. Next, sprinkle the spices, chopped green chillies and saute for a minute to cook them. Mash the canned mackarel fillets in. Mix them well with spices and onions.
- Stir in the mashed potatoes over low heat until combined. Turn off the heat, add lemon juice to taste, adjust seasoning, and set aside to cool.
Make the dough:
- Warm the milk in the microwave until lukewarm, not hot.
- If using a stand mixer, fit it with the bowl attachment. Add the warm milk, yeast, sugar, egg, and melted butter. Sprinkle in the flour and salt. Knead on low speed for about 10 minutes, until the dough comes together.If kneading by hand, mix everything in a large bowl. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead until soft and elastic.
- Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Gently press down to deflate.
Shape the buns:
- Place the dough on the counter and flatten into a round. Divide into 12 equal portions (about 65–66 g each). Shape each portion into a ball.
- Flatten one ball into a round, thinning the edges slightly. Place some filling in the center and shape it into a triangle. Bring the two side edges over the filling so they overlap. Fold the bottom edge up and pinch to seal. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Cover and let rise for another hour. The buns won’t rise much during this second proof.
Bake the fish buns:
- While the buns are rising, preheat the oven to 420°F (215°C).
- Brush the buns with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.Bake for 12–13 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Use bread flour for a soft, bakery-style bun. All purpose flour works too but won't be that soft and brioche-like.
- Milk tenderizes the dough. If using water, mix 3 tbsp milk powder in.
- Instant yeast doesn't need activating. For active yeast, add it into warm milk and sugar and let it activate for 10 minutes.
- Store it in the fridge. Warm in the microwave before eating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 bun | Calories: 256 kcal | Total Carbs: 40 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Sodium: 468 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 225 IU | Vitamin C: 15 mg | Calcium: 46 mg | Iron: 1 mg | Net Carbs: 37 g
DID YOU MAKE THIS?I want to know! Leave a comment & recipe rating below or tag @loveandotherspices on social media!