I’ve never met a bread I didn’t like.
While my palate could be much more refined than it is, there’s one thing that’s universal regardless of its cuisine of origin: bread. Flat or fluffy, soft or crunchy, bread in all its forms is wonderful.
Years ago, I took a History through Fiction course that focused on books set in Eastern Asian countries. The concept was simple: learn a little bit about a culture by the books set in and written by authors who have lived it. Memoirs of a Geisha: A Novel
But back to the History through Fiction course. This was a night class at a regional campus for UCONN and, as such, took place right around dinner time. Our teacher thought it would be fun if we had an Asian-themed meal during one of the classes. This was before the explosion of options came to my town–no Thai, no Hibachi, and definitely no sushi. No Indian food either. If you wanted pizza or pasta, you could toss a stone and find a place to go, but there wasn’t a whole lot else to pick from. The idea of eating something other than Chinese take-out seemed quite exotic. And a little scary.
The class voted and chose Indian for our meal, which had to be retrieved 30 minutes away. (See! I told you! We were a barren wasteland then!) I had never seen Indian food before, so I had no idea what to expect. And, to be honest, I have no idea what I ate. The colors and aromas all mixed together in my memory. But I did learn one thing–naan is awesome. That night, I became addicted to it. And many years later, when I discovered it was available in the grocery store for enjoyment at home, I thought I had struck gold. Woohoo! It has become the base of many lunches and dinners (and breakfasts and snacks) ever since.
Like most other things, making naan at home is much more economical than buying it at the store. I managed 10 flatbreads with this recipe and it probably cost me no more than $2 to make. Hard to argue with that kind of value! They freeze well for later use and are great to have on hand for quick pizzas, sandwiches, dipping in hummus, and just plain eating. There isn’t a lot of active work involved, just some waiting for the dough to rise and then standing at the stove when cooking them off. It’s easy enough that I’ll probably show my nearly-9-year-old how to make them soon. She’s looking forward to it!
These ladies also took on the naan challenge this month:
- Anna {Hidden Ponies} enjoyed making Homemade Naan
- Food Babbles whipped up Garlic Naan
- Jenn of Go Running, Mama! created Stuffed Naan with Candied Red Onion
I cannot wait to see their results! As always, I’m eternally grateful for those who take part in these challenges with me. It’s always more fun when you can share something new with great friends!
Next month’s First on the First challenge will be Mille-Feuille
Also known as Napoleons, these are little pastries that consists of layers of puff pastry and pastry cream and/or fruit. They’re delicate and delightful and I’m really looking forward to tackling them! Please do come back on May 1st to see how they worked out!
Homemade Naan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup hot tap water you don’t really want it above 100 degrees Fahrenheit or you’ll kill the yeast
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 4 cups bread flour plus more for the work area
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup warm whole milk again, not really above 100 degrees Fahrenheit; a quick hit in the microwave should be sufficient
- 1 cup plain yogurt I used Stonyfield Organic Smooth & Creamy Whole Milk Plain yogurt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the water and sugar, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add the yeast, stir, and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium mixing bowl or 4-cup measuring cup, combine the milk and yogurt. Once the yeast mixture is frothy, stir it into the milk/yogurt, then add to the dry ingredients.
- Turn the mixer on to speed 2, mix and then knead the dough for 5 or so minutes, until you get a smooth yet somewhat sticky dough. (You can add flour 1 Tablespoon at a time if, after kneading for a few minutes, it’s too sticky that it won’t clear the sides of the bowl, but the dough should still be stuck to the bottom of it; if it’s too dry to come together, you can add more warm water 1 Tablespoon at a time–try not to do these unless absolutely necessary, as they can throw off the balance and mess up the dough.)
- Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, transfer the dough ball to it, cover with plastic wrap, and set somewhere warm for 1½ hours (I usually set my oven to the lowest temperature then shut it off once it reaches that, so it’ll hold some warmth for proofing without being too warm).
- Once the hour and a half has passed, flour your work surface well and transfer the dough to it. Cut into 10 equal portions then let sit for 30 minutes so the dough can rest and relax the gluten a little.
- Melt the butter and get out a pastry brush.Heat a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Roll out the portioned out dough to ovals/circles roughly the size of your skillet.
- Brush the tops with melted butter.
- Place 1 in the preheated skillet, butter side down, then brush butter on the top.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the edges are dry and the surface is bubbly.
- Flip and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. When done, the bubbles will be browned but the rest of the naan will still be pale.
- Remove to a plate or wire rack to cool.
- Repeat with the rest of the naan.
- Naan can be stored in a large zip-top bag for up to 3 days or wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.
This recipe was adapted from food52.
I’m with you – any bread is my friend! Your naan is gorgeous!
I could live off of bread…and cheese…and butter…and wine. 🙂 Thank you!
I can’t tell you how much I love naan! It just has the perfect tender texture that not all flatbreads have. I have wanted to make it myself for a long time now…looks like I’ve got the recipe now! You did such a fabulous job…these are beautiful!
How is it you’ve never made naan? You need to remedy that right away! And you’re right–the texture is just perfect. <3
I’m wanting to try this recipe SO badly, but yeast hates me SO much! I’ve even placed a thermometer into the water to make sure that it’s the right temp for the yeast, but the dang stuff never wants to work for me.
I guess I’ll just have to come over to your house for some of this, m’kay? 🙂
If it makes you feel any better, my first attempt fell flat when my yeast proved to be dead. I guess keeping it in the freezer for 2 years is a bit too long. So I had to get dressed and head to the store, where I got distracted by a few other things, then I decided I needed a teapot… it became a much bigger project than it should have been. 😉 I think you should give it a try. As long as you have yeast that hasn’t been sitting around for a while, it’s really very easy.
I’ve never met a bread I didn’t like either 😉 So happy this project was so easy and such a success. I loved this project! And yours look beautiful. Love your photographs!! The lighting is perfect.
Thank you! I’ve been struggling with lighting (and editing photos on a new computer) lately, so that means a lot to me. Yay for easy, successful projects!
This bread MUST be in my life soon!
Love naan, especially when it’s fresh out of the oven. Dipped in hummus, it’s the perfect side to any dish!
I LOVE Naan but had not idea how to make it. Thank you!!!
I love Indian food! I’m a late-bloomer to the cuisine, as I didn’t grow up with it, but I made naan for the first time this fall and was kicking myself for not making it sooner! It’s so easy and yours looks delicious!
Also, I made a mental note to add those books to my Goodreads–I love a good recommendation. Your class sounded wonderful!
Should I be ashamed to admit I still haven’t really eaten Indian food yet? I tried a little something last summer at A Taste in Simsbury, buut I don’t remember what it was.
Hi..this naan looks delicious…love naan..it is the only reason to go out for Indian food!! You made this recipe with plain no fat yogurt. Would Greek no fat yogurt work okay? I would love to make this..and have everything on hand..as long as the Greek yogurt will work..Thank you so much.
I actually used the whole milk yogurt (not no-fat), but I bet you could use Greek yogurt, too. You’re thinning it out a bit with the milk, so that helps it incorporate better. If you’re worried, you could always use a little less yogurt and a little more milk, still totaling 3/4 cup with the two. Good luck! Let me know what you think of it!
You got my attention!! They look sooo tempting!! I love Naan but never made them myself before – I think I’m ready to give it a try! Thanks!
ive used this recipe 4 times now. Easy to follow, fabulous bread! My family loves it! Highly recommend !!
I’m so glad to hear you and your family are enjoying this recipe!! It really is just so easy!