The best mabhanzi recipe ever!
Fluffy, chewy and airy bun glazed with a sugar syrup. Popularly known as mabhanzi in Zimbabwe.
Servings Prep Time
16rolls 1hour
Cook Time Passive Time
25minutes 2hours
Servings Prep Time
16rolls 1hour
Cook Time Passive Time
25minutes 2hours
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Add yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar to lukewarm milk. Mix well and place in a warm place. Proof for 6 minutes.
  2. When yeast has proofed well pour into the stand mixer bowl. Crack the egg into the bowl. Add the rest of the sugar and whisk everything together.
  3. Add about 2 cups of the bread flour, the salt and milk powder to the mixture. Attach dough hook to your stand mixer and start off mixing on low.
  4. When the dough starts coming together add more flour about ½ cup at a time. Your dough should still be sticky after adding the rest of the flour. Add more flour if too sticky. Be careful not to add too much. Your dough should not be hard.
  5. Now add your softened butter. Increase speed to 2 or 3 and beat for 10-15 minutes more until the dough begins to pull away from sides of the bowl. Let it run for a couple minutes more and after that your dough is ready. If you are kneading using your hands, after adding butter, the dough will get very gooey and messy. Cover it and let it rest for about 15 minutes. After that it will be in a much better state to continue kneading. Your dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover and place it in a very warm place to rise for an hour.
  6. After the dough has risen, deflate it to get rid of the air bubbles. Transfer it on to a lightly floured surface, roll it into a rectangle. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Fold it three times as in the picture below. Roll again into a rectangle and fold again. Repeat this step 6 times. After a while when the gluten forms, it might become very difficult to roll. Let the dough rest for about 15-20 minutes before continuing to roll and fold.
  7. After folding the dough, a total of 6 times, cut it into 16-18 roughly equal pieces.
  8. Flatten each dough piece using a rolling pin. Roll it into a cylindrical shape using the tips of your fingers. Pinch the ends together and using the palm of your hand, and a little pressure, roll it into a smooth ball. Picture below. Repeat until you have 16-18 smooth dough balls. Do not skip steps 6 and 8 as this contributes greatly to the light and fluffy texture.
  9. Place them into a rectangular baking dish lined with parchment paper or greased really well with butter. Cover and place in a very warm place for an hour to rise a second time.
  10. After one hour, preheat your oven to 350F or 180C. Bake for 20-25 minutes. While the mabhanzi are baking, prepare the glaze by dissolving the sugar in the boiling water.
  11. The mabhanzi should be golden brown. As soon as they get out the oven, brush them with the glaze. Oh, if and only if you can, wait a few minutes before you dig in.