Homemade Naan

Certain personality types make for excellent bakers. Excellent bakers are people who understand that measurements need to be exact and directions need to be followed precisely.

I am not one of those people.

While I like to bake, I tend to stick to recipes that have a large margin for error. I’m more of a little bit of this, little of that, oops, forgot to add that kind of person. I have a more laid back approach to cooking, which doesn’t transition into A+ baking. But I’m fine with a B. As long as it still tastes delicious (or close enough).

And that’s pretty much how my adventure turned out with this Naan. I’ll post the exact directions for you, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t follow them exactly. I used the correct ingredients, but I free-styled with the kneading and was impatient with the rising.

But I was pretty proud of how my first homemade naan adventure turned out. It was soft, doughy and hefty enough to hold the sauce from my Indian chicken I made last night.

Was it pretty? Not exactly. The sizes of my naan were somewhat obscure, but they were certainly more than edible so I’m going to give myselft at least a B+.

Homemade Naan (Adapted from Foodbuzz.com)

3 cups unbleached bread flour
1 TBS whole wheat flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp peanut oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
pizza stone (I just used a hot pan, and it worked just fine)
4 TBS melted butter

In a small bowl add the water, oil, sugar and yeast. Stir well and set aside for a few minutes.

Sift all the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt.

Add the water, oil, sugar and yeast to the flour and mix it in well.

Begin adding the milk a little at a time until the dough forms a single, solid mass.

Turn the dough ball out onto a lightly floured surface and knead. Continue doing this for 10 to 12 minutes.

You’re looking for a dough that is soft and pliable and tacky but NOT sticky. If you’re not familiar with working with dough, be patient. Dough responds slowly to changes in moisture. Make small adjustments and give it time. If the dough seems a little dry, moisten your hand with a little water or milk and continue working it. If it seems wet and is sticking to the kneading surface, dust the surface and dough with a little flour and continue kneading. Again, the resulting dough after kneading should be smooth, pliable and tacky but not sticky.

After kneading, form the dough into a rough ball and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to relax for 10 minutes.

While the dough relaxes find a suitable bowl or container that is large enough for the dough to easily double in size. Coat that container with a thin layer of oil. When the dough is done resting place it in the oiled container and cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm place (not in the sun or too hot), and let it rise to twice it’s original size. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.

When the dough has doubled in size turn it back out onto the kneading surface.

Turn on your broiler and set your pizza stone on a rack midway in your oven.

Take the dough and GENTLY knead it down with your knuckles (don’t push forward, just gently downward). Take one end of the dough and fold it midway over itself. Take the other end and fold it over that. Knead GENTLY down again. The dough should still be soft and spongey, it should form a rough rectangle. Repeat the folding and then knead gently one more time.

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Place the pieces under plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.

Gently shape each piece into a smooth round ball by lightly gathering it and tightening it by pinching it on the bottom over and over. (DO NOT roll it between your hands like clay). Again, the dough should remain soft and spongey. Place each ball under the plastic wrap to keep it moist. Keep the balls apart as they will rise a little bit and if they touch they’ll stick. Let them rest for 10-15 minutes.

Shape each dough ball into the traditional naan shape by placing it between your thumb and fingers and quickly turning your hand over, slapping the dough into your other open hand then grabbing it similarly and repeating, (Kind of like holding a plate and turning it over). Do this over and over rotating the dough a little each time until it relaxes and begins to stretch into the naan shape. This is a two stage process you’ll do it once and then place the flattened dough under the plastic wrap to allow it to rise a little and relax, and then do it briefly one more time just before you place it in the oven. By the time you’ve stretched your last ball for the first time, it is time to go back to your first one. See the video below for a demonstration.

Open the oven door. Grab your first naan, quickly flip it hand over hand to give it its final stretch and then CAREFULLY place it on the pizza stone. Watch and note the time it takes to bake the first one. Between one and two minutes it will start to get brown spots. Carefully turn it over until that side browns in spots. Remove from the oven, quickly brush both sides with melted butter  and then place in towels to keep warm.

After the first one is done and you have a sense of the process and time involved, you may feel confident enough to cook them 2-3 at a time.