Some failures, I post about here (like how I failed and then succeed at making my own pasta). Other failures make me sad and so I just pretend they never happened and don’t post about them. I failed at making naan (twice) and never posted here about it because it was just so sad.
Today, I managed to make naan that tasted like naan, had the texture of naan, and looked like naan. Hooray! For those that don’t know, naan is delicious Indian flat bread that is often served with curries or other dishes. It’s delicious. The first time I tried to make it, I ended up with weird puffy dry bread. It was not good and it was not naan. The second time I tried to make it, I ended up with flat little crisps of bread. Also not good, and also not naan.
This time, I made naan that actually resembled naan. It was good, too! The trick is to not bake the naan. I don’t know how tandoori ovens work, but my regular oven does not work the same.
Recipe (adapted from here):
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup warm water
2-1/2 tsp yeast
4 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
5 tbsp olive oil
Active time: 45 minutes
Inactive time: 2 hours
Servings: Makes 16 small naan or 8 large naan
Cooking Instructions:
Add the yeast to the warm water and stir until dissolved. Set aside. Add all the other ingredients together and begin to mix them together. Add the yeast mixture and mix the ingredients until they are all combined. Add more milk if the dough is not soft or coming together.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it is soft and smooth. Place in a large bowl and cover. Let rise for 1.5-2 hours or until it has at least doubled in size. Knock the dough back and divide it into 8 or 16 even portions (they do not have to be round). Allow to rest again for 1/2 – 1 hour.
Roll out on of the portions into a teardrop shape. Roll from the center and do not roll back and forth. Start in the middle and just roll one way. Roll it thinner than you think you should. Heat a cast iron pan over high heat or (if you have an electric stove) heat a burner to medium heat. Brush one side of the rolled out naan with water and place either directly on the burner or on the cast iron pan. It should cook for about 30-45 seconds on one side and begin to brown. Flip it over and cook it on the other side. If it is cooking to quickly, turn down the heat. If the center is not cooked all the way, try rolling the dough out thinner or turning down the heat. Once both sides are cooked, remove from heat and begin the next one
Brush with a little bit of butter and enjoy with some delicious Indian food!
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
You are just fantastic, first you make your own tagliatelle and now you’ve made naan breads! They sound a bit tricky to make, I’m always scared when I work with yeast, I always think I’m going to kill it with too much salt or something! They look amazing
I’m working on a recipe that will be good to introduce people to yeast breads. Something really simple. Be on the look out!
They look too good to resist! Now I’m tempted to make this.
Baking newbie and first-time commenting here (though I have been a long time reader). =D
Question! If I have neither a cast iron pan or an electric stove (I use induction stove tops), what other alternatives do I have?
A really hot pan would work well also. The nice thing about a cast iron pan or the stove top is that it doesn’t require being oiled before use. If you do use just a regular pan, add as little oil as you can and make sure the pan heats evenly. Good luck! I’m interested to hear how these turn out. I had some difficulties with naan (as I said in the post), so I’d love if I made it easier for other people to make.