There are a few types of dough making that I don’t consider “baking”, they are just so simple and 100% precise ratios don’t matter as much. Pizza dough, steamed buns, and now…naan. I promise, any one of you can make naan at home and they are cheaper than store-bought.
You really can’t even begin to compare store-bought naan with homemade. The flavor is so much more intense eating them straight off the skillet. I suggest cooking these addicting flat breads with this Tandoori chicken or Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) and this Chana Masala (chickpea dish). A gourmet Indian feast that will wildly impress your guests or make you really happy you skipped out on that dry, cold delivery.
Happy Halloween everyone!
We celebrated Saturday night in Miami at a Veuve Clicquot party at the Four Seasons.
Lots of champagne = great night.
recipe adapted from userealbutter.com
Ingredients
- 1 envelope or 2 1/2 tsps dry active yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting and rolling
- 2 tsps salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, more for the bowl
- 3 tbsps ghee (Indian-style clarified butter) or melted unsalted butter
Instructions
In a small bowl combine sugar, yeast, and 1/4 cup warm water and let sit 5 minutes or until it becomes foamy. In a stand mixer combine the flour, salt, and baking powder with the dough hook and blend. You could also use a food processor with the dough blade.
Pour the yeast mixture, garlic, milk, yogurt, egg, 2 tablepoons of vegetable oil, and 3/4 cup warm water into the bowl and knead until the dough forms a ball that is smooth and elastic. About 5-8 minutes in a stand mixer, less by processor, and more by hand. The dough should be soft without being sticky. If it’s sticky, add more flour.
Put the dough in a lightly-oiled large bowl. Turn the dough around to coat oil on all sides and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 60 to 90 minutes. In my house the oven is the only place for this with a towel over it. Punch down the dough and cut it into 8-10 pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and set on a floured baking sheet. Cover with damp kitchen towl and let rise again, until doubled in size (about 40 to 60 minutes).
Melt a little butter on a hot skillet. You are going to use the 3 tablespoons to cook all 8-10 pieces of naan. Just cut a little piece off and throw it in the pan in between cooking each piece of naan. With your hands, flatten each piece of naan into a flat oval like shape. (I flattened one piece each time another piece was cooking)
Brush the naan with water and place it water-side down in the skillet. Cook for about a minute. Large bubbles should begin to pop up on the surface. Brush the top of the naan with water and flip it over for another minute or so. Place in a basket covered with a napkin or towel to keep warm. Optional: brush with more butter or ghee and/or garlic. I did not as they were already covered in butter from the pan. Repeat until you have 8-10 naan adding more butter to the pan as needed between cooking.
Notes
Just like pancakes, it can be hard to tell if the temperature of the pan is right. Test it out with your first piece, the naan should be covered in dark brown spots but not quite burn. Adjust the temperature of the skillet/pan as needed.
You can freeze or refrigerate the dough balls for future use as well. Just make sure they come to room temperature again before cooking.
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::: keelymarie :::