Naan Bread

Naan is a leavened, tandoor oven-baked or fried flatbread. It is characterized by its light and slightly fluffy texture and golden-brown spots from the baking process. Naan is found in the cuisines mainly of Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Caribbean.

This is the perfect accompanyment to any Indian dish. Normally used insteaad of utensils for scooping up dahls, sauces, stews, and curries.

Modern variations on this recipe may contain cheese, garlic, onions, and even potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1.5 tspn Yeast, fast action
• 1 tspn Sugar, granulated white
• 150ml Warm Water
• 300g Strong White Bread Flour, plus extra to dust
• 1 tspn Salt
• 5 tblspn Natural Yoghurt (Greek)
• 2 tblspns Ghee, melted, plus extra to brush
• A little Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil, to grease bowl
• 1 tspn Sesame or Poppy Seeds (optional)

Method

1. Small bowl: Put the yeast, sugar and 50ml of the warm water in a bowl and stir well. Leave until it begins to froth.
2. Large bowl: Put the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Stir the yoghurt into the yeast mixture, then make a well in the middle of the flour and pour it in, plus the melted ghee. Mix, then gradually stir in the water to make a soft, sticky mixture that is just firm enough to call a dough, but not at all dry. Tip out on a lightly floured surface and knead for about five minutes until smooth and a little less sticky, then put in a large, lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and leave in a draught-free place (the airing cupboard, or an unlit oven) until doubled in size: roughly 90–120 minutes.
4. Tip the dough back out on to the lightly floured surface and knock the air out, then divide into eight balls (or six if you have a particularly large frying pan).
5. Meanwhile, heat a high-temp frying pan over a very high heat for five minutes and put the oven on low. Prepare the melted ghee and any seeds to garnish.
6. Flatten one of the balls and prod or roll it into a flat circle, slightly thicker around the edge. Pick it up by the top to stretch it slightly into a teardrop shape, then put it in the hot pan. When it starts to bubble, turn it over and cook until the other side is browned in patches. Turn it back over and cook until there are no doughy bits remaining.
7. Brush with melted ghee and sprinkle with seeds, if using, and put in the oven to keep warm while you make the other breads.