Chicken (not so) Minis

A Chick-fil-a classic meets the modern age

ingredients

dough (based on Joshua Weissman’s Hokkaido Milk Buns)

• 320g bread flour

• 9g active dry yeast (instant works as well)

• 3g fine sea salt

• 120g whole milk

• 56g granulated sugar

• 42g unsalted butter, softened

• 1 whole egg, room temperature

• Tangzhong

  • 27g water

  • 60g whole milk

  • 20g bread flour

chicken nuggets

• chicken thighs

• buttermilk

• kosher salt

• pickle brine

• hot sauce of choice

• white pepper

• AP flour

honey butter

• salted butter

• honey

process

Day 1

1. Combine buttermilk, salt, hot sauce, and pickle brine in a bowl to taste and set aside

2. Cut chicken thighs into bite sized pieces and add to buttermilk mixture

3. Allow to brine for 2-24 hours

Day 2

1. Make tangzhong by combining water, milk, and bread flour in a sauce pot. Mix over medium low heat until it turns into thick paste. This happens quickly and we don’t want any color on it. Remove from heat and place in container to cool

2. Heat milk between 100-110 degrees and add yeast. Allow to bloom for 10 minutes

3. Combine dry ingredients in bowl of stand mixer. Optionally, sift.

4. With stand mixer running on low, add tangzhong, yeast mixture, and egg to bowl.

5. Once the dough begins to come together, increase speed to medium and add butter is small chunks

6. Once the dough has fully incorporated, remove from stand mixer and form a ball. Place ball in greased bowl and allow to rise with a damp cloth on top for 45m-2h (until doubled in size)

7. While dough is rising, punch down to degas

8. Once risen, deflate ball and separate into 30g balls

9. Place in desired baking dish with balls just barely touching

10. Allow dough to proof again until balls have doubled in size and filled in the baking dish (45m to an hour)

11. Preheat oven to 350F

12. While dough is proofing, heat peanut oil to 375 degrees

13. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, msg, and white pepper

14. Add brined chicken pieces to flour and press to adhere and create craggly bits all over the chicken

15. Fry at 375 until golden brown and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F

16. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

17. Once dough has proofed, combine an egg and a splash of milk. Beat well and then brush over dough

18. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes

    1. Rotate pan after 10 minutes if browning unevenly

19. Once baked, combine honey and salted butter to brush over hot buns

20. Cut bun in half and add chicken nugget

21. Serve immediately