Making Naan
Homemade Naan
I love Indian food and one of the side dishes I enjoy with Indian food is Naan. So, you can imagine my great joy when I discovered one of the recipes in our The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (ISBN 978-1-250-01828-1) was for Naan! The following bread recipe and directions that follow are from this cookbook. I’ve also included the book information at the end in case you’d like to add this cookbook to your kitchen library, I highly recommend it!
For me Naan seemed exotic and thus difficult to make, not so I discovered. In truth all you need is the following recipe, along with a heavy 12 – inch cast iron skillet, oil and a high heat stove… easy peasy and so delightfully tasty!
Olive Oil Dough
(page 214 in The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day)
As with many of the dough recipes in this amazing bread book this one can also be used for pizza, focaccia and olive bread, although I’ve not made the last one on this list (not yet anyway).
Ingredients
2 ¾ Cups of Lukewarm water (100 degrees F or below, anything higher will kill the yeast – I discovered this the hard way)
1 Tablespoon granulated yeast
1 to 1 ½ Tablespoons of Kosher salt (I use sea salt)
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
¼ Cup Olive Oil (the fruitier the olive oil the better the flavor)
6 ½ Cups All – purpose flour
Directions to Make the Dough
Mix the yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil with the water in a 6 – quart bowl or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon or heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle). If you are not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately two hours. Often times I will make the dough in the morning and then go about my daily business in the studio, garden or farm. By the afternoon the dough is finished rising and the baking can begin!
Note: The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, but it is easier to handle when it is cold. Refrigerate the container of dough and use over the next 12 days.
Directions to Make Naan
Gather ¼ lb of the dough above along with 1 Tablespoon of oil and unsalted butter for brushing the Naan.
Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut of ¼ lb (peach size for those of you living in the Palisade or the Grand Valley) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough (this should be done quickly). As you stretch around the bottom on all four sides, roate the ball a quarter- turn as you go. Using your hands and a rolling pin, and minimal flour, roll out the dough to a uniform thickness of 1/8 inch throughout and to a diameter of 8 to 9 inches.
Heat a heavy 12 -inch cast iron skillet over high heat on the stovetop. When water droplets flicked into the pan skitter across the surface and evaporate quickly the pan is ready to add the oil.
Drop the disc of dough onto the skillet and decrease the heat to medium, cover the skillet to trap the steam and the heat.
Check for doneness with a spatula at about three minutes, or sooner if it looks be browning more quickly. Adjust the heat as needed. Flip the naan when the underside is brown and rich in color.
Continue cooking another two to six minutes, or until the naan feels firm and even at the edges. If you’ve rolled your naan thicker you will need more cooking time. Andy and I’ve learned over the years that getting the thickness of the naan just right, takes practice (we are still working on that skill).
Once the bread is brown on both sides, remove it from the pan and brush with melted butter.
I like to serve this tasty bread with Chicken Tikka Masala or Coconut Chicken and Spinach Curry. The key to both dishes and why they pair well with the Naan is the sauce! Like my men, I love myself a good saucy dish! Sorry Andy I couldn’t resist….
The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
By Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoe Francois
ISBN 978-1-250-01828-1
Bon Appetit!
