Homemade East Indian Naan Bread Made Easy Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
• Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
• At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Steps:

• In a large glass, dissolve the dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar with 3/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until it's frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.
• Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and the olive oil into the glass, and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and add the kalonji and fennel seeds, if using, and gently mix the ingredients together with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. It will feel like there isn't enough flour at first, but keep going until it transforms into a soft, slightly sticky and pliable dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2 to 4 hours.
• When you're ready to roll, make sure you have two bowls on your counter: one with extra flour in it, and one with water. The dough will be extremely soft and sticky-this is good! Separate the dough into 6 equal portions and lightly roll each one in the bowl of extra flour to keep them from sticking to each other.
• Shape the naan. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a teardrop shape, narrower at the top than at the bottom. It should be 8 to 9-inches long, 4-inches wide at its widest point and about 1/4-inch thick. Once you've formed the general shape, you can also pick it up by one end and wiggle it; the dough's own weight will stretch it out a little. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough. (If you're making the gluten-free version, you'll have better luck pressing the dough out with your fingertips, than rolling.)
• Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Make sure you have a lid large enough to fit the skillet and have a bowl of melted butter at the ready.
• Dampen your hands in the bowl of water and pick up one of your naans, flip-flopping it from one hand to the other to lightly dampen it. Gently lay it in the skillet and set your timer for 1 minute. The dough should start to bubble.
• After about 1 minute, flip the naan. It should be blistered and somewhat blackened, don't worry - that's typical of traditional naan! Cover the skillet with the lid and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
• Remove the naan from the skillet, brush with a bit of butter and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the naans and serve.

Steps:

• Put the flour in a large bowl, then add the sugar, baking powder and 1½ tsp salt. Add the seeds, if you like. Lightly whisk to disperse the ingredients evenly throughout the flour.
• Add 1 tbsp of the melted butter, followed by the natural yogurt. Mix together with your hands. Once the yogurt and butter have been absorbed, gradually add 180-200ml water, 50ml at a time. Mix between additions, until it begins to come together into a dough. The water amount will depend on the consistency of the yogurt and butter - stop adding when you have a ball of dough.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead thoroughly for 5 mins until smooth and elastic. Put in an oiled mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for at least 1 hr. The dough will not rise but it is important to let it rest as this helps to make the naans less chewy and more fluffy.
• If making the garlic butter, mix the garlic with the remaining 1 tbsp melted butter and the coriander. Set aside.
• Divide the dough into eight, 10 or 12 even-sized pieces, depending on how big you want the naans. Roll into round balls, then return to the bowl, covered with a tea towel.
• Roll one of the dough balls out on a lightly floured surface into a round, oval or teardrop shape - roll with a diagonal motion to get an oval. Flip the dough over and repeat on the other side.
• Heat a frying pan. Dry fry the dough over a medium high heat until it begins to puff up and the underside browns in places. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove the cooked naan from the pan. Spoon a little of the garlic butter over the naan, if using. Sprinkle over some coriander, if you like. Cover with a tea towel while you repeat the process with the remaining balls of dough.