Snowshoe Naan
Submitted by GMWARREN
Snowshoe naan is a hand-stretched, sponge-leavened flatbread baked on hot quarry tiles and topped with nigella seeds. Long oval shape with crisp edges and pillowy centers, dairy-free and rustic.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
7 hrsThis is tandoor-tradition naan reimagined for a home oven, named for its long oval snowshoe shape and the dimpled stretch marks across the top. Half whole-wheat flour and half white flour give it a heartier, nuttier crumb than restaurant naan, and a long sponge fermentation builds depth without sourdough effort.
The technique here is what makes it work without a tandoor. Quarry tiles or a baking stone preheated at 450°F (230°C) gives the bottom that crisp, blistered crust. Wet fingertips press dimples across the dough before stretching, creating the signature pitted surface that catches char and bakes faster. Nigella seeds (black onion seeds) scattered on top before baking give the bread a faint pepper-onion aroma you cannot fake with anything else.
Wrap finished breads in a cotton cloth right after they come out so they steam soft, the way good naan should be.
Pro Tips
- Stir the sponge 100 times in the same direction to align gluten strands; this is what gives the bread its stretchy, pliable handling later
- Leave a 1-inch gap between the baking stone and oven wall so hot air circulates evenly; tight tiles create cold spots
- Quarry tiles are cheap from hardware stores and work as well as expensive baking steels for flatbreads
- Stretch the dough by draping it over both hands and pulling apart slowly; tearing means the gluten is not relaxed enough
- Bake two at a time, alternating in and out, to keep a rhythm and bake all eight without losing oven heat
Variations
- Brush with melted butter or ghee right out of the oven for a richer, restaurant-style finish
- Skip nigella and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or chopped fresh garlic before baking
- Stuff with cheese or seasoned mashed potato before stretching for kulcha-style filled breads
Ingredients
Directions
Place water in a large bread bowl, add yeast, and stir.
Add whole wheat flour and 1 cup white flour and stir well, then stir 100 times in the same direction to develop the gluten (one minute).
Let this sponge stand for ½ hour to 3 hours, covered.
Sprinkle salt over the sponge, then add another cup flour and stir.
Continue adding flour and stirring until you can stir no longer.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead thoroughly, about ten minutes, until dough is smooth and easy to handle.
Clean out bowl, oil lightly, and return dough to bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a convenient place for 2 to 3 hours.
When the dough has more than doubled in volume, push down gently and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and shape each into a flat oval shape, approximately 4×8 inch long.
Leave these flat disks out on the work surface and cover with plastic wrap to let rise for approximately 20 minutes.
Place quarry tiles or large baking stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven, leaving a 1 inch space between the tiles and the oven wall to allow air to circulate.
Preheat oven to 450~.
Five minutes after the oven has preheated, begin shaping the first bread.
Place a small bowl full of cold water by the edge of your work surface.
Using your fingertips, first dip them in the water and then, beginning at one end of the disk of dough, make tightly spaced indentations all over the surface of the dough, so that it looks pitted, though not pierced through.
Now stretch the dough gently into a long oval strip by draping it over both hands and pulling them apart gently.
The dough should stretch and give, and after several tries will extend to make a long oval about 12 inch long with attractive stretch marks along it from the stretched indentations.
Place the bread back on the work surface, sprinkle with a pinch (less than ⅛ ts) of black onion seeds, then using both hands, place the bread directly on heated quarry tiles or stone.
While the bread bakes, begin to shape the next bread.
Cooking time for each bread is approximately 4 minutes.
You will soon develop a rhythm so that you can bake two breads side by side across your oven, one going in when the other is half done.
When done, breads will have golden patches on top and a crusty browned bottom surface.
To keep breads warm and soft, wrap them in a cotton cloth five minutes after they come out of the oven.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
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