Naan

Simple, Yeasted Homemade Naan ... I recommend watching the video. Link below.*

Note: This works as pita for making gyros. Dough needs to have a warm spot to rise. In winter, it might be best to use the seed heater mat.

author: Alexandra Stafford total time: 1 hour 55 minutes yield: 4

Notes for making dough ahead of time: Once the dough is mixed, pour a thin layer of oil over top and turn the dough to coat. Cover bowl, stick in the fridge, and keep it there till about an hour before you are ready to bake the following day. Divide the dough, ball it up, and let it rest for about an hour before rolling out. 

Interestingly, the weight of the flour and the weight of the liquid (water + yogurt), are identical here: 256 g each. I suspect, if you use buttermilk or regular yogurt as long as you keep the total weight of the liquid close to 256 g, the naan will turn out just fine. 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt

1 teaspoon (4 g) instant yeast

½ cup + 2 tablespoons (136 g) boiling water

½ cup (120 g) Greek yogurt 

 2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing (I use salted)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. In a medium bowl or a liquid measure, stir or whisk together the water and yogurt. (Reminder: cold yogurt is mixed with boiling water to achieve the best temp for the yeast to grow.) Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine with a spatula. When the mixture becomes too stiff, knead with your hands for about a minute or until the flour is incorporated and you have a sticky, wet ball. Cover with a towel or cloth bowl cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1.25 hours. 

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4 equal portions, then shape each into a ball. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Heat a large skillet (something like cast iron is great) over high heat. You want it very, very hot. Using a rolling pin dusted in flour, roll one ball into a thin large round or oval (8- to 9-inches in diameter, roughly), using flour as needed to prevent sticking. Repeat with another round. (I like to start with 2 rounds rolled out; then I roll the remaining 2 while the first 2 are cooking.)

When the skillet is very hot, transfer rolled out round, dusting off excess flour if possible, to the skillet. Cover. Cook for 1 minute. Close to the end of the minute, you’ll hear the pan hissing a bit … this is a good sign. Flip, and cook for another 30 seconds uncovered. Transfer to a plate and brush the top lightly with melted butter. 

Repeat this process with the remaining dough balls. You may have to adjust the heat as you go. If too much flour is burning in the skillet, turn it off, carefully wipe it out with a dish cloth, then crank the heat back up. As the naan emerge from the skillet, stack them on top of one other in a shallow bowl or plate. Cover with a tea towel to keep warm.

*Find it online: https://alexandracooks.com/2020/02/27/simple-yeasted-homemade-naan-a-step-by-step-guide/