Easy Naan

Authentic naan bread is cooked on the inner surface of a tandoor oven. This easy dough produces a tasty approximation by cooking the bread on a cast iron skillet like a tortilla. The finished bread is a patchwork of chewy, tender bread and crispy, flaky spots.

Ingredients #

Instructions #

Place the yeast, sugar and 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm wter in a glass bowl and stir well. Set aside for 5 minutes (the yeast should froth up).

Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the oil, yogurt, yeast mixture and remaining lukewarm water into the well. Mix with your hands, working from the center out. The dough should be quite soft and sticky — if it seems too dry, add a bit more water.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes (you could use a mixer with dough hook for this if you like).

Clean the mixing bowl, oil it lightly, and return the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towl, and set aside in a warm spot for 1 1/2 hours.

Turn the dough back out onto a lightly floured board. Fold the dough in on itself a few times, pressing down with the heel of your hands to deflate. The dough should smooth and supple without large bubbles. Divide the dough into 6 portions and roll the portions into balls.

Place a cast iron skillet over medium heat to warm up.

Take a dough ball and flatten it out into a small disk with your fingers. Dust each side with a little flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the disk until it’s 9 or 10 inches across and 1/8 inch thick.

Pick the dough up from one end and let it hang for a moment to stretch into a slightly oval shape. Cook it into the hot dry pan until it starts to bubble, about one minute. Turn it over and cook for another minute. Repeat until the bread is done to your liking, being sure there are no doughy patches left. This can take between 4 and 6 minutes.

Remove the naan and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm while you cook the remaining breads. If you have two skillets, using them both will shorten this process.

Optional: Brush the naan with melted butter (with or without some very finely minced garlic) as it comes off the skillet, or during its last moments of cooking in the skillet.