Naan Bread
This recipe is perfect for the summer months when grilling is in high gear. I chose to stuff the bread with some grilled flank steak topped with some sour cream/cilantro sauce. Alternately, the bread is good as a base for all sorts of dips (hummus, baba ganoush etc.).
This recipe is perfect for the summer months when grilling is in high gear. I chose to stuff the bread with some grilled flank steak topped with some sour cream/cilantro sauce. Alternately, the bread is good as a base for all sorts of dips (hummus, baba ganoush etc.).
- Carbohydrate 49.5399458327779 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.880380555555555 g
- Fiber 2.77570835113525 g
- Protein 7.56147361111111 g
- Saturated Fat 0.139455555555556 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (94g)
- Sodium 1.94611111111111 mg
- Sugar 46.7642374816426 g
- Trans Fat 0.280031111111111 g
- Calories 238 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the flours ,yeast/salt and sugar in a mixer bowl.
- Set aside.
- Warm up milk to about 110 deg.
- Add milk to the flour mixture.
- Mix in a stand mixer( I used my Kitchen Aid) on medium speed for 5 minutes, or knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Cover with plastic and allow to rest for two hours.
- After the dough has rested, turn it out onto a floured surface.
- Divide the dough onto 12 equal pieces and round them into balls.
- Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, heat your oven to 500 F and place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.
- I guess you can also use a cast iron skillet to do this.
- After it has rested for 30 minutes, roll out the dough until it is about 6? to 7? wide.
- It shouldn't be too thick, more on the thinner side.
- Moisten the dough with a bit of water, either with a dipped pastry brush or by running your hands through running water and then moistening the dough with your wet hands.
- Lay the dough onto the hot pizza stone.
- Close the oven and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, or until puffed and beginning to get brown spots.
- Don't overcook it or it will get brittle on you.
- Brush with melted butter(or ghee...clarified butter) and cover.
- I chose not to brush it with butter since I was going to freeze most of them.
- I did however, place them (stacked) in a plastic bag when still warm to sort of steam and make them softer.
- I also, took them out later(frozen)and wrapped them in foil..to sort of steam them.
- I placed them on the grill for a few minutes while my flank steak was cooking.
- This way I had nice warm bread ready to be stuffed with the meat and sour cream/cilantro sauce(of course you can use yoghurt).
Puffed spheres marked with charred, blistered spots define properly baked flatbreads, yielding an interior that remains exceptionally soft while the exterior offers a slight chew. Achieving this texture relies entirely on thermal mass and rapid cooking mechanics rather than traditional baking methods.
Thermal Requirements and Surface Options
Heating the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit with a pizza stone positioned on the bottom rack creates the intense radiant heat needed to cook the dough within three minutes. Baking quickly prevents the moisture inside the crumb from evaporating entirely, which preserves flexibility. Cast-iron skillets placed over maximum burner heat serve as an effective alternative when a pizza stone is unavailable, transferring direct conduction heat to the thin dough instantly.
Managing Dough Hydration and Doneness
Measuring the milk to precisely 110 degrees Fahrenheit activates the instant yeast without destroying the microorganisms, establishing a reliable fermentation rate over the two-hour bulk rest. Judging doneness requires visual observation rather than internal probing; watch for the surface to puff substantially and develop distinct brown spots within 150 to 180 seconds. Prolonged exposure to heat causes the structure to dehydrate completely, turning pliable flatbread into brittle crackers.
