Naan Bread

Intro: Naan Bread

Naan is by far my favorite kind of flatbread. It is so easy to make, the ingredients are always in my pantry, they are so adorable, but also these beauties are extremely delicious. This flatbread is so elastic, soft and airy, with a lovely buttery and toasted sesame seed flavor. It is such a rustic bread and yet so sophisticated.

The recipe:

www.vespresso.cooking/en/naan-bread

STEP 1: Prepare the Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 300g all-purpose flour + 35g extra - for kneading (10.6 oz + 1.25 oz extra)
• 125ml lukewarm water – 36-40°C (½ cup)
• ½ package active dry yeast (4g)
• 25g granulated brown sugar (2 Tbsp)
• 15 ml milk (1 Tbsp)
• 4g sea salt (1 tsp)
• 1 small egg (35g)
• 30 butter (2 Tbsp)
• 9g black sesame seeds (1 Tbsp)

Tools:

• a large bowl
• a small bowl
• a wooden spatula
• a small saucepan
• a brush
• a clean towel
• a knife
• a rolling pin
• a skillet

Abbreviations:

• tsp = teaspoon
• Tbsp = tablespoon

STEP 2: Activate the Yeast

In a small bowl combine water, sugar and yeast and let aside for 15 minutes (to speed up the process, choose a warm place to leave the bowl - I usually place it on a chair in front of my hot oven ). After 15 minutes the mixture should be foamy.

STEP 3: Prepare the Dough

In a large bowl combine white flour (preferably sifted) and salt and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, the egg and milk and mix with a wooden spatula until you form a ball.

Bring the dough on a floured working surface and knead it for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the dough should be smooth and elastic (picture).

Place dough in the large bowl, cover with a clean towel (you can also use cling film) and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size (picture).

STEP 4: Prepare the Dough Balls

After 1 hour place the dough back on the working surface and knead vigorously to knock out the air bubbles. Form a ball and cut it into 8 triangles (half the ball, half the halves and half the quarters) (picture). For this step use a sharp knife.

Take a triangle, connect two angles and form a small ball. Proceed the same with the remaining triangles (picture).

Place the small balls on a parchment paper-lined baking tray, cover with a clean towel and let them rise for another 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

STEP 5: Roll the Flatbread

After 30 minutes place a ball of dough on a floured working surface and deflate it with a rolling pin (picture).

Sprinkle with sesame seeds (about 1/8 Tbsp) and continue rolling the dough until 0.5– 0.7cm (about 1/3 inch) thick - at this point the naan should have the same diameter as a CD (picture).
If you sprinkle the sesame seeds when the naan is already flatten, they would not stick to the dough and they would fall in the skillet.

STEP 6: Cook the Flatbread

Heat a medium skillet on medium heat (I used an enameled cast iron skillet and I didn't add any grease in the pan). Place the naan seed side up. Cook for 2 minutes, or until light brown on the bottom. If the flatbread browns too quickly, lower the heat. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes.

STEP 7: Butter the Flatbread

Place the flatbreads on a plate, one on top of the other. Cover with a towel to keep warm.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Brush them on both sides with melted butter. Enjoy naan with stews or with different kind of spreads.

Comments

[RobD87]

Excellent recipe and clear instructions, thank you. I ill definitely try this. I personally will swap out the sesame seeds for black onion seeds (otherwise known a Nigella or Kalonji). To me it's a more typical flavour used in naan breads available in the UK than sesame.

[VespressoCooking]

Hello Rob, and thank you so much for your comment! I sometimes make this recipe with nigella seeds too. I love their subtle onion flavor. :)

[Metabolic Cooking]

Can you freeze the cooked naan bread? It'd be great to cook up a double batch and then have some in the freezer for a rainy day.

[VespressoCooking]

Hello Metabolic Cooking! Yes, you can freeze both the dough and the cooked naans.

I tried once or twice to freeze the dough because I made a huge batch. I defrosted the dough overnight in the fridge, I kneaded the dough on a floured surface, I divided it into balls, I let them rise for about 1 hour, I rolled the flatbreads and I cooked them one at a time. The result was pretty decent.

I froze the cooked naans, too. I defrosted them overnight in the fridge, I placed the flatbreads on a baking tray, I sprinkled them with water (to soften the crust just a little bit), I covered the tray with tin foil and I reheated them in the oven at 350°F / 175°C for about 10 minutes. They were delicious.

Hope I helped! :)

[CG2002]

Great, I have been trying to make naan bread a few times, but It never worked. I'll try this and see how Iir turns out. Thanks for the Instructable.

[VespressoCooking]

I'm sorry to hear that. I sure hope this time it will be a pleasant experience! :)

[CG2002]

It worked! Thanks for the recipe.

[VespressoCooking]

I'm so glad it worked! Thank you so much for the feedback! :)

[pvraval]

Hi,
In India, we always use Ghee & every person know that how toake Ghee at home.
1 Boile Milke
2 saperete milk cream
3 collect 1 or 2 week milk in a container
4 when suffecient milk cream collet (eg 500 Gm Or 1 Kg) then add 250ml butter Milk
5 After 12 to 15 hrs boild on stove
Finnaly Ghee is ready for use

[VespressoCooking]

Hello Pvraval! Thank you so much for sharing your tips with us! :)

[Alaskan Bev]

What a great site for learning! I have never used ghee and will actually have to look it up before I consider buying any. I've also never heard of naan bread and I have no idea what knidding is. I haven't opened the steps yet; they may instruct me further. They look great - well worth trying - thanks!

[VespressoCooking]

Hello Bev! Ghee is basically a clarified butter; the butter is cooked until the milk solids are browned and this process gives ghee a nice nutty flavor. I usually make my own ghee at home, and it is quite simple to do.

Thank you so much for your comment! :)

[Mihsin]

To reach the ghee level, you should drop few grams of Bulgar, a sort of cracked wheat, into the boiling butter (There are also other cracking methods). Many speculate what this act does to clarify the butter. In the meanwhile, water evaporates fom the liquid and elongates its shelf life. Ghee is unique for making Christmas pastries filled with wallnuts or dates flesh. Good day. p.s. Throw away the bulgar used in this process.

[VespressoCooking]

Thank you so much for sharing your tips with us, Mihsin! I will throw some bulgur in the boiling butter next time I'm making ghee. And those pastries filled with walnuts and dates sure sound heavenly! A good day to you too! :)

[keastes]

Ghee is just clarified butter, keeps longer, and doesn't brown http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/08/how-to-clarify-butter.html

[MandingaRes]

Agradezco mucho tu respuesta! Y si alguien se tiene que disculpar, ese soy yo, ya que mi ingles no es nada bueno, por eso escribo en mi lengua natal y gracias al traductor nos podemos entender (Dios salve a Google traslate!).

No tengas dudas De que voy a · intentar SALGA A que me lo mas Parecido al de tus fotos!

Muchas gracias otra vez!

[VespressoCooking]

Con muchisimo gusto! :)

[MandingaRes]

Yummy!! Ese pan se ve extremadamente delicioso!!

Es La Primera Vez Que escucho del pan de molde. Cual es su origen?

Me gusta la idea de cocinar el pan en una sartén. Por estos días en mi región hace mucho calor (hoy 38º C), por lo que no es grato prender el horno. Prometo copiar la receta y una vez que compre las semillas de sésamo probare de hacerlo. Muchas gracias por compartir!

[VespressoCooking]

Ola, MandingaRes y muchisimas gracias por tu comentario!

Primero te pido una disculpa poche mi Espanol no es bueno! El pan Naan es un pan delicioso de la
cocina India. Espero que lo ententaras un dia. :)

[Pothuset]

I'll try them.