Chicken Bread

This Chicken Bread takes some work but the results are definitely worth it!  I have made the filling with boneless chicken breast and ground chicken.  I prefer the boneless chicken breast but find using ground chicken is much faster.  I've attempted mixing in some whole wheat flour into the dough but haven't been successful.  The dough came out very dry.  You can experiment with the filling as well.  This recipe makes two loaves.  It's great for school lunches as well!

Chicken Bread
Adapted from Fauzia's Kitchen Fun

Filling:
1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes or ground chicken (I prefer boneless chicken breast, but find the ground chicken to be much quicker to make)
1 tbsp yogurt
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 green chilli, finely chopped
salt, to taste
1 tsp tandoori masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup cheddar cheese (usually use a little less than 1 cup)
1-2 tbsp ketchup

Dough:
4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp milk powder
1 tbsp instant yeast
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
4 tbsp canola oil
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup warm water

Topping:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-2 tbsp sesame seeds

Marinate Chicken:
In a bowl, mix together yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli, salt, tandoori masala, cumin, turmeric, lemon juice and tomato paste.  Add chicken, mix well and set aside for 30 minutes.

Filling:
In a pot over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp oil.  Once warm, add the onion and fry until translucent.  Next add the red pepper and fry for 30 seconds.  Add the marinated chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender.  Remove from heat and stir in the freshly ground black pepper.  If using chicken cubes, shred the chicken.  Allow to cool completely.  Once cool, mix in the cheese and ketchup.

Dough:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together flour, milk powder, yeast, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Mix in the oil and egg.  Gradually add the milk and mix until the dough comes together.  Switch to the hook attachment.  Mix on low speed until a soft dough is formed, add some of the warm water if needed.  This should take approximately 5-10 minutes.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn the dough over so that it is coated in oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Assemble Chicken Bread:
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Divide dough into two pieces.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough into a rectangle.  Spread half of the filling down the middle.  On both sides, cut 1 inch strips along the length of the dough.  Alternating sides, bring one strip at a time over the filling, creating a criss cross pattern.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining piece of dough.  Cover the chicken bread with a cloth and lest rest for 10 minutes.

Brush the loaves with the lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.