Naan Bread

Author: Anita Jacobson

Categories: Bread

Cuisines: Indian

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• Naan dough
• 1/2 cup warm water (38 Celsius / 100 Fahrenheit)
• 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup oil (olive/canola/vegetable)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup plain yoghurt (normal/greek)
• 300 - 400 gram all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Other
• olive oil (~ 12 teaspoon)
• melted butter (~ 2 tablespoon)

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together warm water with active dry yeast and sugar. Rest for 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Then whisk in oil, egg, and yoghurt.
2. In another large mixing bowl, place all purpose flour (start with 300 gram) and salt. Make a well, then pour in the yeast solution. Knead into a smooth, elastic, and non-sticky dough. You may need to add a little bit more flour if too sticky, a tablespoon at a time, and keep kneading until the dough is non sticky.
3. Place the dough in an oiled mixing bowl, and wrap with a wet kitchen towel or a saran plastic wrap. Let the dough proof until the volume is almost doubled. (*)
4. Once the dough has finished proofing, punch it down to release air bubbles, and knead again for 2 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 portions, each shape into a round ball.
5. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a heavy bottom frying pan over medium to medium high heat (or a cast iron skillet). Roll out one portion of dough at a time into a 5" circle, then add to the hot frying pan. Cook until the first side bubbles (~ 1 minute), then flip and cook another side (also about 1 minute). Repeat this step for the other 11 portions.
6. Once all naan bread are cooked, brush each with melted butter.

Notes

• (*) In a warm kitchen, this should take about 45 minutes to 1 hour. In winter, you can make your very own proof box by preheating the oven to 200 Fahrenheit, then turn off the oven, and place your ready-to-proof dough in the oven. Whenever I do this, it takes about 40 minutes for the dough to rise.