Paneer Masala Bread

Nothing beats the aroma of fresh bread baking in the oven…except the aroma of fresh bread combined with tantalizing spices baking in the oven. This Eggless Paneer Masala Bread recipe is a feast of the eyes, nose and tastebuds, yet so easy to make. Your family, friends and neighbors will be running over to see what’s cooking!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Dough Rise Time: 1 hour
Baking Time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:

Warm Water – 1 cup
Rapid Rise Yeast – 1 1/2 tsp (see note below if using Dry Active Yeast)
Sugar – 1 tsp
Kosher Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil – 1/3 cup
All-Purpose Flour (Maida) – 3 cups (plus little extra for dusting)
Paneer – 7 oz (200 g or 1 1/2 cups), crumbled
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Dry Mango Powder – 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder – 1/2 tsp or to taste
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Pickled Jalapenos – 1/2 cup, chopped finely (click here for recipe) Nacho Jalapenos can also be substituted.

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine Warm Water, Yeast, Sugar, Salt and Olive Oil. Mix well.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, combine above mixture (a little at a time) with All-Purpose Flour and knead into a soft dough. Once dough comes together, knead for 4 to 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Additional flour can be used for dusting to prevent dough from sticking to hands.
3. Combine crumbled Paneer, Turmeric Powder, Dry Mango Powder, Red Chili Powder, Garam Masala, Salt and Pickled Jalapenos. Mix gently so that paneer doesn’t get mashed.
4. On a rolling surface, roll out dough into a rectangular shape (approx 9 inch by 13 inch).
5. Spread Paneer mixture evenly over the dough all the way to the edges and gently press in.
6. From the side closest to you, start rolling the dough tightly into a log.
7. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9″x13″ baking pan and place dough log in the center.
8. Loosely cover with a damp kitchen towel and place pan in a warm place for 1 hour to allow dough to rise.
9. Take a serrated knife and make shallow diagonal slits into the top of the dough.
10. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232C) and then reduce temperature to 425 degrees F (218C).
11. Place pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Every oven is different so please keep an eye on it towards the end of the cooking period.
12. Remove bread from oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Remove bread from pan and place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes before cutting or serving.
13. Cool completely before storing.

Note: If using Dry Active Yeast, use same amount. Proof the yeast by adding it with sugar to warm water and allowing it to rest for 5-10 minutes, until foamy. Knead dough and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. Roll out the dough, spread the filling, roll it into a log and the allow it to rise again for 1 additional hour. All other steps are the same.

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95 thoughts on “Paneer Masala Bread

  1. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    I have two questions:
    Can i use Ghee instead of oil?
    Instead of pickled Jalapenos is it possible to use Mango Pickle or any other Pickle and how much should i use for the filling?
    Thanks for your Answer

    1. Hi Reni,

      Ghee should be okay to use but be sure you melt it first. We have not tried mango pickle so not sure exactly how it will come out. One of the issues may be that the pickle is oily and the bread will not rise properly inbetween the layers. This is only a guess. The amount you use is also “to taste” and will depend on what brand you use and how intense you want the flavor to be. Just add a small amount at a time and taste the filling before adding more.

    2. Certainly! Yes, you can substitute Ghee for oil in your recipe for a rich flavor. For a unique twist, replace pickled Jalapenos with Mango Pickle in the filling. Adjust the quantity to your taste preference. Check whatinguide for more insights on automobiles. Happy cooking!

  2. hiii ur recipes r jusssssss osomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

    and hetellll i love ur smilllleee alottt..mwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

  3. Hi Hetal and Anuja,
    I tried out your Focaccia Bread (Onion and thyme-didnt have rosemary !) flavour and it turned out just absolutely awesome.The bread remained soft for a week !

    Thanks so much and looking forward to some more bread and other recipes.
    Cheers ..!
    Deepika

  4. Hi Hetal

    I am planning to make this bread for a party. I was wondering if it is make night before, and does it need to be stored in fridge? Also, before serving should I toast it or microwave it.

    Thanks for all the great recipes. I have tried the tiramisu recipe a couple times, and every time it just
    comes out great.

    thank you

    Anuja

    1. Hi Anuja,

      Yes, you can make the bread a day in advance and it would be best to store it in the fridge because it has paneer (a milk product) in it. Before serving, you can slice it and layer it in a baking tray or pizza pan and toast it in the oven. Spread some butter and serve immediately.

  5. Hello Hetal, Anuja,

    After trying several bread recipies and failing.. I tried this one. This came out very well. Thanks a ton. I followed your recipe very closely. One thing I did differently is.. I warmed the water in the microwave (for 30 seconds), but it was quite hot. So I cooled it for a few seconds before putting the yeast. The water was close to luke warm. For me, the climax was the dough actually rose nicely and I also learnt what is the difference between dry active yeast and rapid rise yeast.

    I have been trying several other recipies from your site ever since I got married and have been getting such good feed back from friends and family. Kudos to both of you for making cooking interesting. One more thing is.. you bring recipies from all over the planet (both in India and outside) truly making it global 🙂

    Cheers,
    Saradha

    1. Hi Sinduja,

      We have never tried it, but it should be okay. Check to see if your bread flour has any added leavening agent such as baking soda or powder. If so, you would have to alter the recipe a bit.

  6. Hi Hetal & Anuja,

    Its just an awsum recipie…. wud luv to make it this weekend itslef….

    just wanted to ask- can i use normal cooking oil instead of olive oil?? and what is rapid rise yeast?? can u suggest any alternate??
    thankx in advance….:)

  7. Hi Hetal and Anuja, Tried this recipe for our weekend trip, came out delicious. It stayed fresh for 2 days here in UK weather. Everyone loved it!! Thanks a ton

  8. OMG!!
    I tried it yesterday..it tastes very yummy..my cousins just loved it..all credit goes to u both..god job hetal & anuja…i appreciate ur interest in specifying substitutes, if we don’t have one ingredient.. keep posting nice recipes like this..thank u guys..u rock..

  9. Thank you for sharing another great recipe, Ladies.

    In the video you mentioned that putting cuts on the top of the bread, before baking, makes it look nice but here is the real reason why breads are baked that way:

    “Diagonal slashes on the surface of the loaf allows the steam in the bread to escape so that it expands evenly during the baking process”.

    1. Hi Haseena,

      Yes, they are the same. Rapid rise (instant) yeast can be mixed into dry ingredients but active dry yeast has to be proofed in warm water before mixing into dry ingredients. Also, you can skip the double rising with rapid rise yeast.

  10. Hello Hetal & Anuja, this is the first time im commenting on the site but i love ur dishes…. I tried out this paneer masala bread, and it turned out awesome…. Best option wen driving long for vegetarians specially here in US becoz there arent many options in eateries outside 🙂

  11. Hi

    Tried it with savory filling made with grated beetroot/onions/chillies. The bread turned out excellent and really yummy.

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Great going u 2 !!

  12. Hi
    Just to let you know I used this recipe with mince lamb meat (which was cooked with chillies/corriander paste and cumin seeds and ginger plus salt; when dry add 2 tsp tomato puree and cook through). Pressed it into the bread and sprinkled some cheddar cheese (used sparingly). Everyone loved it.

    PLEASE DONT SHUT DOWN. Will your web site be available to access after 31/4/12?

  13. Thank YOu for sharing this mouth-watering recipe! Would using mozzarella cheese instead of paneer be a good idea? :/ Thanks.

    1. Hi Sharon,

      No, mozzarella cheese would not be a good option because it melts into a stringy mess. Feta cheese would be a better option but since its so salty, you may have to adjust the other flavors.

  14. Hello Anuja and Hetal,
    thanks for sharing all these wonderful recipes with the world. I always feel that the taste of our region will never be lost at any point of time because of the great thing ppl like you do! Hats off to the efforts.
    I tried this recipe with active dry yeast, followed all proportions n steps, Put it in oven for around 30-32 minutes. It was golden brown and looked great, but i found the crust to be a lil bit too hard. The bread tasted excellent. Felt it would have been great if i got it a lil softer. is it because my oven overcooked it? would appreciate your suggestion. Thanks
    Anupama

    1. hi, Anupama.
      i think they mentioned in the video or in one of the comment that if you want the outer layer little softer put some water in tray in the bottom rack of the oven and bread on top rack. this will avoid the outer layer of the bread becoming too hard. i tried it and it worked.

      Anupa.

  15. I tried this recipe,yet to bake it but after 45 mins of resting in the oven the dough hasn’t risen at all. Couple of things i did different, i warmed the water 1 minute instead of 30 seconds. But it wasn’t boiling hot. And after kneading the dough rested for like 1/2 hour before i rolled and put it in the oven, as i had something else baking inside. Please point out the mistake i made.

    1. Hi Lakshmi,

      Very hot water, even if it is not boiling, will kill the yeast. I suspect that was the problem. Also, if you had something baking already in the oven, the temperature was probably too hot for you to try to make the dough rise.

  16. hi, Hetal and Anuja.
    this looks real yum. i am going to try it tomorrow. but can i serve this bread with any dipping sauce or not?

  17. Hi. the bread looks great. planning to make it tomorrow. just one question. how many days just this bread last?

  18. I tried this recipe. It turned out great. I also wanted to take this chance and say thank you to both Anuja and Hetal. I have become a big fan of this website and regularly cook using your recipes. Everytime, I am confused on what to make for a meal, I just log on toe showmethecurry.com. This website practically has all the recipes. I love all your recipes.

    Thank you so much once again and keep up the excellent work!

    1. Hi Paulami,

      You can make a sweet version but probably not chocolate chips. They may make a gooey mess inside. Stick with dry ingredients like brown sugar, little butter, nuts, cinnamon, etc. Also, you may want to reduce the amount of salt in the dough.

    1. Hi Suzette,

      Every oven is different so you may want to change up the temperature a bit. You can try a lower temperature and bake longer so that the inside has a chance to cook before the outside gets overcooked.

  19. Hi Girls
    Tried this bread. it came out well as more than I thought. but I had to add more water than prescribed in the recipe, initially while mixing the wet n dry ingredient I felt it need more water(like 1/4th of xtra)so went ahead n added warm water,I had no jalepeno pickles..so substituted with finely chopped green chilli n lime juice….alls well that ends well
    it was really wonderful……the whole loaf was finished (by hubby n kids)within an hour of baking 🙂

  20. Great recipe Hetal and Anuja………..but i doubt if i can make the same with whole wheat flour………..pls reply as i want to avoid maida in any case.

    Thanks.

    1. Hi Neha,

      We have not tried this recipe with whole wheat flour but are sure that the texture and taste will be different (not necessarily bad). If you decide to try it, we would love to get your feedback.

  21. This is indeed a very nice recipe, the filling can be of anything eg very spicy potato & peas filling or anything that catches your imagination.The main thing is the making of the dough.Thank You !

  22. hi girls…thanx a lot for such a good looking bread..i have instant yeast,it says no reconstitution needed.add directly to the flour…so how do i go about it??might sound silly but iam too new to baking breads…n its my 1st time with yeast.
    thank u..

    1. Hi Garima,

      We also used instant yeast (Rapid Rise is the same thing). Technically, you can mix it to dry ingredients but we like to incorporate it into our liquid mixture for even distribution. The difference is that we use the liquid right away as opposed to having to proof regular yeast (letting it foam for 5-10 mins).

  23. Great recipe Hetal and Anuja. I made this yesterday for a potluck and everyone just loved it. i used green bell peppers instead of pickled jalapenos and it came out great.

  24. Looks Yummy! Am definitely making it 🙂 I like to know if we need to brush with milk or water on top for a soft crust. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes.

    1. Hi Susma,

      You can try keeping a tray with water in it on the lower rack of your oven. This will produce steam and keep the crust soft.

  25. Hi normally for bread strong flour is used. Is plain flour better than strong (bread) flour. Apologies if u have answered this in the video, I can’t currently access but rely on the written recipes. Thanks great site.

    1. Hi Fahima,

      We try to use ingredients that are easily available or in your pantry already. Most people have all-purpose flour on hand and it works just great for this recipe.

  26. Hello ladies…!!

    I had been sittin n wondering wht do i make for dad today when he gets back home..!!! n u guys have given me a perfect solution to it…!!! Its gonna be a big big surprise for him…!!! 🙂

    Thanks and happy Cooking… 🙂

  27. Hi girls…….this is such a great idea….I have to try over the weekend. And Hetal you look so different…..u seem like u have lost weight? No its not the dress or make-up…..the dress is beautiful but I am a little concerned…..or expecting???? 🙂

    Girls take care……
    Cheers…

    1. Hello Renuka Aunty,

      LOL! I am doing just fine but I’ll take it as a compliment that you think I am young enough to be expecting :).

  28. hi Hetal and Anuja,
    This is a wonderful recepie.i will sure try for it.between that i have a question of using flax seed insteed of rapid raise yeast.Will that really work.

      1. then for what purpose we use yeast r baking soda is used,i thought it gives the soft puffiness and y not it shouldnt b replaced by flax seed?

    1. Hi Lakshmi,

      Flax seeds are a great substitute for eggs in some (not all) recipes. With their gooey texture, they bind the ingredients together as eggs do. Yeast is completely different in that it allows for fermentation. Since there are no eggs in this recipe, flax seeds would not be a good option. A substitute for yeast is usually baking soda/powder but then the recipe and proportions would change completely and we have not experimented with that.

  29. Hi hetal and anuja thank you for such wonderful recipe..i love paneer but i love sweet too..can you suggest some sweet filling for this bread??

    Thank You

    1. Hi Lana,

      We have not tried it as a quick bread but if you have a recipe for quick bread, you could possibly try the filling in it. Baking soda would probably be used as the leavening agent.

  30. Hi , thanks for hay great recipe. If I wanted to substitute half the all purpose flour with atta, what changes will I have to make to the other ingredients iand the method in the recipe.
    You ladies are doing a great job!!!
    Anna

    1. I have the same question. If I want to use whole wheat flour, then what changes should I make? Thanks

      BTW, the bread looks hot and so do you guys! 🙂

      1. Aww…thanks R! You probably would need just a tad bit more water but don’t add it until you are almost done kneading it (just in case).

    2. Hi Anna,

      Everything would stay the same except the amount of water. You may need just a bit more water but you can decide as you are kneading.

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