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Oasis Naan

Naan is an Indian flatbread usually made in a clay oven. I haven’t had the chance to eat Indian food but it reminds me of really good pita bread from a Middle Eastern restaurant.

Naan is puffy with a slight crispy and chewy exterior and a soft, pillowy center. I think it would pair well with just about anything. It’s extremely easy to make. You can use a baking stone placed in your home oven to mimic the clay oven.

The recipe for Oasis Naan is at this week’s TWD hosts: Always Add More Butter and Of Cabbages & King Cakes.

Most of the time I take the easy way out and use my bread machine for any bread I make. For this naan I did it all by hand. It was a fun learning experience and I’m glad I did! After mixing it together I kneaded it “vigorously” for a full 10 minutes. The dough here was soft and easy to work with. I had as much fun as my kids with a blob of play-doh! It was also a great workout. My two year old son was quite amused and sang the Wiggles “dough dough dough dough da-dough. . .dough dough dough” song the whole time. After that I placed the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise for two hours.

Next I divided the dough into eight equal pieces and rolled each piece into a ball.

I rolled each ball of dough into a 6 inch circle and sprinkled each with a little water.

I used the very pokey side of a meat mallet to prick each circle all over with the exception of a 1 inch border. You could use a fork or a pastry docker too.

The circles of dough were then each sprinked with coarse salt, chopped green onions, and a pinch of caraway seeds.

In my preheated 500 degrees F. oven with a baking stone already in place I baked the naan four at a time for about 7 minutes. I don’t have a baker’s peel so it took a little manuevering to get each circle on the stone. (Another gadget I need to pick up!)

The breads cool slightly for a few minutes on a rack and then are wrapped in a cotton towel. They taste best right out of the oven but will keep for a day wrapped. You can also wrap them airtight and freeze for up to a month.

I feel so accomplished each time I make a new homemade bread. Not to mention that that it smells and tastes incredible. I probably wouldn’t have tried to make naan without the Tuesdays with Dorie baking group. I am grateful to be a part of this fabulous group of bakers. They push me to improve my baking skills with each new recipe!