NAAN BREAD

My love of potatoes is not a secret to those who know me. My love of bread follows closely behind.

Naan is an Indian flatbread. It is typically eaten with curries or dips but can be used as a wrap as well. This was my first attempt at making them and they turned out very well. In fact, they were so good I had to teach my daughter how to make them the next day.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup warm water (95-100 degrees)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
In a small bowl or cup add the water, yeast, and one teaspoon sugar. Allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes until the yeast becomes frothy. When it’s frothy, add the yogurt and olive oil. Stir well.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, and one teaspoon sugar. Add the yeast mixture to the flour. With a fork, stir until it is combined. On a lightly floured surface knead it gently until it is soft and pliable. This will be a somewhat wet and sticky dough.

Return the dough to the bowl (no need to use a clean bowl), cover with a towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 2-4 hours until the dough has risen.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Sprinkle with a very small amount of flour. Heat a griddle until it is almost smoking. I used a cast iron griddle that belonged to my mom. It’s older than I am and is one of my most valued treasures. Mom always made homemade biscuits on it.
Roll out each piece of dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Place on the hot griddle and let it cook for about one minute uncovered. I cooked mine one at a time and kept them warm under a tea cloth. If there are black spots on it, that’s fine.  Bubbles forming in the dough are wonderful! That means they will be light and fluffy. Flip it over, place a lid on it and let it cook for another 30 seconds to one minute. Remove from the griddle and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
 

We ate these as an appetizer with roasted garlic hummus. It was SO good!