Naan

Naan is Indian flatbread and it is traditionally cooked in a clay oven or “tandoor.” This recipe uses a regular home oven.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of All Purpose flour (Plain flour or maida)
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Pinch of baking soda
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons yogurt (curd or dahi)
• 3/4 cup lukewarm water

Also needed:

• 1 teaspoon of clear butter or ghee to butter the Naan
• 1/4 cup All Purpose flour for rolling

Method:

• Dissolve active dry yeast in lukewarm water and let it sit for 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes frothy.
• Add sugar, salt and baking soda to the flour and mix well.
• Add the oil and yogurt mix, this will become crumbly dough.
• Add the water/yeast mixture and make into soft dough. Note: after dough rise will become little softer.
• Knead until the dough is smooth. Cover the dough and keep in a warm place for 3-4 hours. The dough should almost be double in volume.
•  Heat the oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone for at least thirty minutes so stone is hot. Using a pizza stone will help to give naan close to same kind of heat as clay tandoor.
• Next turn the oven to high broil.
• Knead the dough for about two to three minutes and divide the dough into six equal parts.
• Take each piece of dough, one at a time, and roll into 8-inch oval shape. Dust lightly with dry flour to help with the rolling.
• Before putting the Naan in oven, lightly wet your hands and take the rolled Naan, and flipp them between your palms and place onto your baking/pizza stone into the oven.
• You can place about 2 Naan on the baking/pizza stone at a time. The Naan will take about 2 to 3 minutes to cook, depending upon your oven. After the Naan is baked(Naan should be golden brown color on top).
• Take naan out of the oven and brush lightly with clear butter or ghee.

Tips

wait 2 to 3 minutes before baking the next batch of naan. It gives oven the chance to get heated again to max.