Naan #3
Submitted by khark
Quick naan skips the yeast in favor of baking powder and soda for a faster, eggy Indian flatbread shaped into teardrops and baked hot. Soft, pliable, ready for any curry.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
5 minREADY
4 hrsThis is a quicker take on classic naan that skips yeast entirely in favor of chemical leavening. Baking powder and a touch of baking soda do the lifting, while two whole eggs and milk give the dough its rich, tender bite. Ghee folds in fat and a faint nuttiness, the same way it would on traditional Indian bread. The shaping is what sets naan apart visually. Each piece gets stretched into the classic teardrop leaf shape, wider at the base and tapered at the top, before sliding onto preheated baking sheets that simulate a tandoor’s intense direct heat. A quick pass under the broiler at the end mimics the high-flame char you would get from a real clay oven. Serve hot, brushed with extra ghee, alongside curries, dals, or grilled meats. Soft enough to fold around saucy bites, sturdy enough to scoop.
Pro Tips
- Preheat the baking sheets in the oven before adding the bread. Cold pans soak up heat and produce flat, dense naan instead of puffy pieces.
- Knead the full 10 minutes. The eggs and milk make a sticky dough at first, but it smooths into a soft, pliable ball with proper kneading.
- Let the dough rest the full 3 hours. The rest develops flavor and relaxes the gluten so it stretches into shape easily without snapping back.
- Brush with melted ghee or butter the moment they come out of the oven for that signature glossy, restaurant-style finish.
Variations
- Press chopped garlic and cilantro into the dough before baking for garlic naan.
- Brush the baked naan with sugar syrup and sprinkle with poppy seeds for sweet Peshwari-style naan.
- Stir 1 tablespoon of nigella seeds into the dough for aromatic kalonji naan.
Ingredients
Directions
In a deep bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and stir with a large spoon or fingers until well mixed.
Make a shallow well in the center, drop in the eggs, and stir them into the flour mixture.
Stirring constantly, pour in the milk in a slow, thin stream and continue to stir until all the ingredients are well combined.
Gather the dough into a ball and place it on a smooth, slick surface such as a jelly roll pan or marble slab.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and can be gathered into a soft, somewhat sticky ball.
Sprinkle a little flour over and under it from time to time while kneading to cut down on sticking.
Moisten the hands with a teaspoon of ghee, gather the dough into a ball, and place it in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let the dough rest in a warm draft-free place about three hours.
Slide two large ungreased baking sheets into the oven and preheat the oven and the pans to 450℉ (230℃).
Divide the dough into six equal portions.
Moistening the hands with ghi occasionally, flatten and form each portion into a teardrop-shaped leaf, wide at the base and tapered at the top.
Each leaf should be about six inches long and 3½ inches across at its widest point, and about ⅜ inch thick.
Arrange the bread leaves side by side on the preheated baking sheets and bake them in the middle of the oven for six minutes, or until they are firm to the touch.
Slide the leaves under the broiler for a minute or so to brown the tops lightly.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
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