I keep wondering how long the ‘Pink’ phase will continue for my little one. I have baked pink caterpillar since she saw a bird eating a worm and had to have a worm and of-course it had to be a pink worm. Our rotis at-least twice a week are pink. Pink puris, pink rice, pick curd, pink dosa, pink idlis anything that can be turned pink, has been. It was tried on our black & white dog, too bad it didn’t work!
Well, till the time we have the Pink Mania, beetroot continues to be my true saviour in kitchen.

Serves – 8 Medium Size Buns
Time – Preparation – 20 minutes. Proofing – 2-3 hrs. Baking – 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Whole Wheat flour – 2 cups
- Beetroot boiled & pureed – 1 cup(1 medium sized beetroot)
- Instant Yeast – 2 tsp
- Gluten(optional) – 2 tsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Jaggery Powder – 1 tblspn
- Flax seeds – 1 tblspn
- White sesame seeds – 1/2 tblspn
- Oil – 2 tblspn
- Water – 100 ml or as required
- Milk – 2 tblspn
Method
- Activate yeast by adding it to lukewarm milk & jaggery. Set aside. It should turn frothy in 10/15 minutes
- Boil beetroot and puree it
- Mix flour, salt, gluten & flaxseeds
- Add activated yeast & beetroot to above and mix well
- Add water as required to make a soft dough
- Proof it by keeping it covered with a wet cloth for 2 hrs or until double in size
- Lightly punch the dough to take out the air from the proofed dough
- Shape the buns on the baking tray(lined with baking paper) and keep for second proofing for 30 minutes
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on buns & give them a milk bath
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes
Notes
- Beetroot takes around 15 minutes to boil and the quantity needs to be on the higher side since wholewheat flour doesnt take the color as easily as plain flour
- Doubling of the dough depends on temperature. In hot weather it takes less time
- For activating yeast, sugar or honey can be used too
- I add cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh garlic for flavor. Completely optional & experimental
- Keep a few ice cubes in the bottom shelf while baking the buns