Naan, or Indian flatbread, is a classic accompaniment to any Indian meal. You will love using this pillowy soft bread to sop up all of the flavorful sauces in this cuisine. In fact, we usually make extra sauce when we make Indian curries just so we have enough to dip our naan into! It also makes a versatile base for homemade pizza, sandwiches, wraps, you name it. Traditionally made in a tandoori oven, we make ours in a heavy skillet and it gives a beautiful baked color and texture.
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup plain yogurt
- 2½-3 cups all purpose flour, divided
- ½ tsp salt
PREPARATION
- In a small bowl, combine the water, sugar, and yeast. Stir and let sit for five minutes or until the mixture foams. Once foamy, whisk in the egg, oil, and yogurt.
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the salt. Pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the flour/salt mixture and stir until well combined. Continue adding a half a cup of flour at a time until you can no longer stir the mixture (roughly 1 to 1.5 cups later).
- Put your ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the ball of dough for about 3 minutes, adding small amounts of flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. You will end up using 2.5 to 3 cups of flour total. Avoid adding excessive amounts of flour as you knead, as this can make the dough too stiff and dry. The dough should be smooth and very soft but not sticky. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. After it rises, cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball.
- Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about ¼ inch thick or approximately 6 inches in diameter. For the best bubbles, roll each piece just before cooking it. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until bubbles form on the top and the bottom is golden. Flip the dough and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Serve plain or brush with melted butter (or garlic butter!) and sprinkle with your favorite herbs.
Inspired By: The Novice Chef