MILK BUNS WITH BASIL SPREAD

Baking bread is my favorite activity in cooking. It is hard to explain why. I guess it started years ago, when I arrived in Italy. I still had the habit of converting currency at the time. One day, I went to Despar and wanted to buy a loaf of bread. The price shocked me; it was 5 or 6 times more than what it cost in Vietnam. Hence, I came back home and said I would make bread from now on. What a noble motivation! My first bread was a no-knead bread. It was not bad, and given the fact that it was in December when leavening is quite challenging, I would give myself some credit! Still, my first loaf was not stretchy and flavorful like the ones in supermarkets.

It took me so long, I think 2 or 3 years, to master home baking. I have read so many books, watched tutorials, and also taken cooking courses (both professional ones and as a hobby. Told you, I am very serious about what I do!). Besides, I also had private lessons from my neighbor, who is a professional baker. In addition, I also learned to make bread in a very old-fashioned style from my grandma, who was 97 years old at the time. I would say my baking is the result of a long-time effort!

Making bread also teaches me to be patient. You can't cheat! Waiting and letting the dough rise—the longer the better! It was so hard at the beginning for a quick-tempered person like me. I checked the dough every 30 mins, and it felt like forever in winter when the room temperature doesn't favor the leavening process. I have become very patient now; my bread often takes at least 24 hours. I don't mind waiting. The brownness, the stretchy texture, and the crackling sound when pulling them from the oven are the ultimate goals. I guess I have grown with my bread-making skills!

These milk buns are one of my best-sellers! They are fragrant, so soft and spongy, perfect for a sandwich (though, as a Vietnamese, we make bánh mì! If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!). To accompany my buns, I used our minty basil from my greenhouse to make a basil spread. There is no butter in it, but loads of pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and some extra virgin olive oil (packed with antioxidants and magnesium!); still very caloric! (citing my dietitian! 😝).

Enjoy! 🙂