What Indian meal could go without Naan bread, whether its is a succulent Peshwari naan filled with coconut, raisins and almonds or a simple chapatti? I personally couldn't imaging not mopping up a chicken tikka masala without one. Traditionally, making Naan bread would need a tandoori oven, but not everybody has one, so we are going to show you how to make respectable plain naan with this recipe at home with your own home oven.
Makes 6 to 8 Naan depending on their size
Preparation time 10 -15 minutes, proving time 1½ hours roughly and 20 -25 minutes cooking time,
Recipe Difficulty level - Beginner-Friendly / Intermediate Cook
Special equipment - hot oven or a hot griddle or a cast iron skillet
Many times I have been into the Indian takeaway and watched the chef cook fresh naan, and have been quite amazed that it was mostly cooked under a powerful grill in front of me. Obviously the dough was prepared before hand, and then the extra ingredients added to create the final varieties. Well our method here isn't much different. Firstly we will create an unleavened dough as the basis of all our naan bread, then being able to make Peshwari, garlic and so on.
The dough for naan bread is generally quite easy to prepare, but you need to be careful how much fluid is added, you will need to add it slowly to prevent it from becoming too sticky. Once the dough is ready it will benefit from some standing time, wrapped with grease proof paper or clingfilm. I usually get a glass bowl, lightly greased to stop the dough from sticking, then cover it with clingfilm or a damp cloth. The dough can be stored in the fridge for quite a long while or just a few hours if at room temperature.
The method for making naan bread is a common practice that you will likely encounter in many recipes. By using this standard method as a base, various toppings can be added to customize the flavour. For the sake of simplicity and efficiency, I will repeat this method in multiple recipes to save time and streamline the cooking process, also giving you the opportunity to experiment for yourself.
Plain Naan Recipe
Ingredients:
450g plain flour
1 tsp / sachet fast action yeast
2 tablespoons yogurt
1 ½ tsp sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon of Himalayan or Celtic salt
100ml of lukewarm milk
50g Butter or ghee
How to prepare the naan bread dough
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Step 1:
In a large glass bowl put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast and mix well with a fork.
Step 2:
Gently warm the milk to lukewarm, add 1 tablespoon of yogurt to the milk and keep the other one for later.
Step 3:
Beat the egg and keep to one side and then melt the butter or ghee also keeping to one side.
Step 4:
Now gradually add the lukewarm milk along with the beaten egg and yogurt to the flour, mixing until a firm dough has been reached. Turn this onto a lightly floured surface, and gently knead until the dough is soft and springy (this may be easier if you have a food processor or mixer).
Step 5:
Lightly grease the glass bowl with some ghee or butter and place the kneaded dough into it, and then cover with a damp cloth or some clingfilm to stop the dough from drying out. Then place the bowl in a warm place for around an hour and a half until the dough doubles in size. A warm oven draw or an airing cupboard is a good place for this.
Step 6:
When the dough is ready, divide it into 8 ball of equal size then cover and keep to one side, for another 10 to 15 minutes.
How to cook the naan bread using a hot oven
To cook plain naan using a hot oven, preheat your oven to its highest temperature setting (usually around 550°f 260°c ) with a pizza stone or baking sheet inside to get it hot. Roll out the naan dough into oval or round shapes. Place the prepared naan on the hot pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for 2-4 minutes, or until puffed up and lightly browned. Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with coriander and serve warm.
How to cook Naan using a hot tava (griddle) or cast iron skillet
To cook naan bread on a hot griddle, preheat the griddle over medium-high heat. Roll out the dough into oval or round shapes, brush one side with water, and place it water-side down on the hot griddle. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles start to form on the surface. Flip the naan and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until the bread puffs up and develops a golden brown color. Remove from the griddle and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coriander leaves if you wish before serving warm. Enjoy your freshly cooked naan bread right from the griddle!
Please leave a comment below to share your own experience in preparing this recipe.
Cheers Steve.
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