We make bread regularly in our house, Naan being an exception. We enjoy it so much, we just have to limit how often we make it lol
I will admit I am a bit apprehensive sharing our Naan recipe and process. I have a very dear friend of Indian heritage and I fear this won't meet her standards. So to hedge my bets here I am going to put out this disclaimer. It has been many years since I have lived in an area with authentic ethnic restaurants and just as long since i've had good Indian cuisine (which makes me sad). Our Naan is a lovely buttery, garlicky fry bread with a wonderful texture (soft and a bit chewy). Our entire family adores it and I hope you will too :)
And we're off......
What's our first step, always??? VERY GOOD!! Mise en place!
Ingredients:
9 cups flour
2 1/2 tblsp yeast
2 tblsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup + 1 tblsp milk
3 cups warm water
10 cloves of garlic (6 in dough, 4 for butter)
3 eggs
As usual, I make large amounts. It is vital in a big family to make enough for more than one meal....or I would never be able to keep up with the cooking. Feel free to half any recipe I post if you are a smaller crew or just want enough for one meal (which you may regret ;)
First get your warm water, add your sugar to it and sprinkle your yeast in the mixture. I don't always proof my yeast, but for naan, always.
Let that sit until a lovely foam head develops.
If your eggs are fresh out of the fridge you will need to bring them to room temp so they don't slow down the first rise. Simply place them in a large measuring cup or bowl and cover in hot tap water. Within just a couple of minutes they will be ready :)
Time to mince the garlic.
The best way to peel garlic is to smash the bejeezers out of it with the blade of your knife. I lay the side of the blade flat on top of the garlic and hit it (VERY carefully and with the sharp edge facing away from me) with the bottom of my palm. It doesn't take much pressure at all. You just need to split that membrane and the skin comes right off, usually in one piece.
You will want your garlic to be well minced (I went even smaller than pictured). I like to drizzle a smidge of olive oil on my garlic before I start. It keeps the garlic pieces closer together so its easier to chop up. You will chop all ten cloves...6 for the dough and 4 for the basting butter.
Mix together all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl along with the garlic (try and sprinkle it so it doesn't just hang out in clumps in your dough) Once your eggs are warm and your yeast is foamy go ahead and add to the dry ingredients along with your beaten eggs.
Mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a shaggy dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and loverly :)
Put about 2 tblsp of olive oil in a bowl (I just use the bowl I mixed it in. The less dishes the better ;), turn the dough in the oil to coat, cover with a flour sack cloth or other towel and let rise until doubled. My oven has a proofing setting and I LOVE it. If yours does as well that is perfect. If not just find a draft free warm spot to let your bowl hang out in. Temp and humidity determine how long this step will take so I don't really have a guesstimate for you. Sorry :(
While your dough is rising, melt 1 1/2 - 2 sticks of butter (you may need more or less than this depending on how heavy or light you brush). add the reserved 4 cloves of garlic to the melted butter and just leave on the stove on low. You just want it to stay melted and warm so it infuses with garlic flavor. Stir occasionally.
When your dough is risen and gorgeous you will need to punch it down to deflate it.
Prep your counter by laying out a 3 ft length of plastic wrap and spraying it with ....you guessed it....Bakers Joy ;) You will also need a second piece to lay over top of your dough pieces to keep them from drying out while you are working, just as with tortillas.
Cut your dough into pieces that will give you a golf ball size ball of dough. You can use bigger pieces to make a bigger finished product. Children+smaller pieces :) Place your little balls of dough on your plastic and cover.
Preheat your skillet(s). I use cast iron and love it for this application. Medium high heat is a good starting point. Adjust if you need to when you start. Now roll out your dough into an oblong shape. I roll mine on a silpat. a lightly greased counter would work also. Roll THIN. You may think you are rolling too thin...you are not. You could see through them and it will still be ok. They will spring back the minute you put them in the pan.
Brush the top with infused melted butter and place butter side down in your hot pan. When the top begins to bubble and the bottom has lovely dark golden brown coloring, brush the top with more of the butter and flip. If the bottom is getting too brown before the top bubbles, turn your burner down. If it seems to be taking too long to brown (really should only take about a minute) then turn your heat up slightly.
Cook until the same dark golden brown spots appear on the flipped side. Only the high points of the dough will brown, the rest will stay very very pale and that is perfect.
Repeat with remaining dough balls and enjoy!! If you have leftover garlic butter, dipping is glorious ;) We eat naan with pretty much anything. See you back tomorrow for Belgian Waffles!!! Don't forget to hit the follow button on the top right hand side of the page :)
Have a blessed day!
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