Roti John – Awesome Bruneian Street Food Recipe

Roti John is a delicious street food popular in several Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei.

Since we are doing the Baking World Tour in alphabetical order Brunei was first in line. But no matter where it is originally from the fact remains that this thing is totally awesome, and everyone should try.

A super soft and fluffy hot dog bun toasted in butter and filled with a curried beef omelette, fresh spring onions, cheese, shredded cucumber, mayonnaise, and hot sauce. This kind of reminds me of Vietnamese banh mi, but the difference is that the egg is fused with the bun in roti john. They are both great and I would suggest you try them both.

If you do not feel so adventurous and perhaps do not want to fill your buns with funky ingredients go ahead and simply use the buns to make perfect hot dogs with. Because the buns all by themselves are a beautiful thing. And they are so easy to make.

This recipe makes 4 roti. If you would like to make more simply multiply the amount of ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

250g (8.8oz) strong white bread flour

5g (0.17oz) salt

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.12oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.3oz) fresh yeast

20g (0.7oz) soft butter

20g (0.7oz) sugar

1 egg (50g), cold *

90g (3.2oz) cold milk *

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon of milk for glazing

For the curried beef –

200g (7oz) ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt & pepper to season

40g (1.4oz) curry paste. I used spicy red curry paste, but you can certainly use any curry paste you prefer.

For the omelette –

4 eggs

Chopped spring onions

Salt & pepper to season

To assemble the roti –

Grated cheese

Shredded cucumber

Mayonnaise

Chilli sauce

Spring onions

Method

1. Cook the beef. On medium-high heat cook the onions and garlic in a little bit of oil stirring occasionally for around 5 minutes or until the garlic starts browning. Add the salt and pepper, and the curry paste. Mix well. Add the ground beef, break it up into smaller pieces and keep cooking the mix just until the meat has cooked through. Place in a bowl to cool down to room temperature, then refrigerate until later.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the milk, egg, yeast, salt, sugar, and butter. Mix well to dissolve any large salt and sugar crystals, and to hydrate the yeast. Add the flour and mix to a dough.
3. Tip the dough out on your table and knead for around 5 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
4. Cover and ferment for 2 hours or until almost doubled in size.
5. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and pre-shape into blunt cylinders.
6. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
7. Final shape. Lay a piece of dough smooth side down on the table horizontally. Flatten it, then roll it into a tight long roll.
8. Place the rolls on a non-stick paper lined baking tray. Cover and leave for the final proof for around 1 – 1.5 hours. *During this time preheat your oven to 160C (320F) fan on.
9. Brush the buns with the egg yolk and milk glaze.
10. Bake for around 25 minutes. You can turn the tray around halfway through the bake to get an even crust.
11. Leave the buns to cool down for at least 30 minutes.
12. Slice the buns in half and spread butter on the inside.
13. Mix the eggs with salt & pepper and the spring onions. Add the curried beef and mix again.
14. Toast the buns butter side down in a pan on medium-high heat until golden.
15. Pour a little bit of oil in the pan and ¼ of the egg mix. Cook for a minute before pressing the bun into the egg. Keep cooking for another 2 minutes or until the egg has fully cooked. Flip it over and sprinkle in some grated cheese.
16. Assemble the roti. Top it with plenty of shredded cucumber, mayonnaise, hot sauce, and more spring onions.

Enjoy. This was one of my favourite recipes so far. Let me know if you tried it. And check out some more Baking World Tour goodies!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.