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!
judy said:
Your naan looks beautiful and you were so lucky to be serenaded while you kneaded the dough.
Baker on the Rise said:
Kids are great for that 🙂
heidi1169 said:
Homemade bread is the best! Love that you used a meat cleaver, it looked like it really got the job done. Nice post!
Baker on the Rise said:
Thanks!
Heather @ SugarDish(Me) said:
I make lots of bread, but I’ve never made naan; this looks great!
Baker on the Rise said:
Thank you. It you don’t mind a little kneading then this is super easy.
denlyn3 said:
Naan will be part of my weekend plans.
Baker on the Rise said:
Let me know how it turns out for you!
creativityorcrazy said:
Beautiful bread.
Baker on the Rise said:
Thank you 🙂
girlavantgarde said:
Thanks for visiting my blog. Your food looks delicious! I’ll be back here!
xox,
girlavantgarde.wordpress.com
delicio8 said:
Naan is heavenly! I can’t believe it’s so easy!! I thought you had to have one of the Indian special ovens for it, thanks for sharing.
Baker on the Rise said:
Not at all. It really is easy.
Leslie Chapman said:
Yum, I will have to try this recipe!
Baker on the Rise said:
Please do and let me know what you think 🙂
hollyeatsinfrance said:
You’ve never eaten Indian food? Get yourself to the best Indian restaurant you can find post-haste! 🙂
Your naan look beautiful. I have such trouble getting any flatbreads I make to come out round.
Baker on the Rise said:
Thanks! My husband was laughing at me too for never having Indian food. There are some around but they are not the most common thing around the Midwest U.S.
Alison Mann said:
These look lovely! I’ve always wondered if I could make my own naan, I’m looking forward to having a try!
Tammy said:
I had trouble with the transfer too. Yours look just the way they are supposed to though. I couldn’t help but think of rye bagels when I tasted the caraway seeds. Not that rye is a bad thing…
Posting my link tomorrow.
Paula Kelly-Bourque (@VanillaBeanBake) said:
I really, really have to start making my own Naan. If it comes out half as lovely as your I’ll be a happy gal!
katie z said:
I’ve been looking for a good naan recipe–I will have to try this! 🙂
jane said:
The naan look great. I agree it was fun to try something new.
Kathy said:
Your naan look beautiful! I enjoyed baking these, too! And also eating them!
Tandy said:
I really need to get a baking stone 🙂
thelittleloaf said:
I’ve never made my own naan bread but I really should as it’s so delicious! And yours look picture perfect 🙂
L2Kitchen said:
This looks sooooo yummy!! 😀 What a great recipe, I will totally have to try it out!
Baker on the Rise said:
Let me know how it goes for you!
andi said:
Awesome – I love Indian food and have made poori often, but never had the guts to go all the way and try naan, that obviously has to change!
Andi
Baker on the Rise said:
You’ll be amazed by how easy it really is.
Christina Salvon Posniak said:
Use of the meat tenderizer! Brilliant!
Baker on the Rise said:
I saw someone else on the TWD blogroll suggest it, I’m not sure who. But it works great!
yummychunklet said:
Kudos for hand kneading!
Baker on the Rise said:
Thanks 🙂
Piebird said:
Hi, just wanted you to see this re: genoise. you don’t want the butter too hot, but it needs to stay melted while you fold it in. also see my reply to Carmen; this is a diffi
Piebird said:
whoops… difficult recipe!
keikomulligan said:
That naan looks delicious!
andmorefood said:
This looks amazing! I always have a fear of making bread – but it is always so rewarding when it works!