Wendy’s Spicy Chicken But Better

Ingredients

Milk buns

• Oil or cooking spray
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup + 3 Tbsp water
• 2½ tsp bread machine yeast
• 2 large eggs, divided
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3½ cups bread flour
• 0.33 cup sugar
• 1½ tsp fine sea salt
• ⅛ oz amylase enzyme
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• Melted butter, for brushing

Toum mayo

• 15 garlic cloves
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• Salt

Marinade

• 2 cups buttermilk
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1½ tsp cayenne
• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Dredge

• 3½ quarts vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Spicy chili oil

• 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 2½ Tbsp cayenne
• 1½ cups hot oil from the fryer

To build

• Butter, for the buns
• Butter lettuce
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced and salted