Topic: Naan Bread

[UK/Canadian in USA]

Here's the recipe I've been using and it works well for me.
It's a very slightly modified version of one I found onhttp://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art19568.asp

Naan Bread Recipe

1lb white flour
2 sachets dried yeast (sachets in the USA are 0.25oz each)
1 tsp nigella seed - optional (charnushka or kanolfi seed in Indian stores)
6 tbsp plain yogurt
2 tbsp ghee or melted butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup warm water
oil or ghee to coat

1. Dissolve sugar in warm water.
2. Add yeast - yeast should froth after 5 minutes or so.
3. In a seperate bowl, sift salt with flour and add nigella seeds if you?re using them - which I never have.
4. Make a well in the centre and add yoghurt, ghee and yeast mixture.
5. Knead well until it forms a dough. Shape into a ball. If dough is sticky, add more flour until elastic but don?t get the mixture too dry or they will go hard during baking.
6. Coat a seperate bowl with oil or ghee and roll dough into it until fully coated.
7. Shake off excess oil and cover with damp tea-towel or plastic wrap (cling film).
8. After 2 or 3 hours, dough should have doubled in size.
9. Preheat the oven to about 450 to 500 deg. F (230 to 260 deg. C).
9. Knead the dough and divide into around 6 equal portions. Flatten and mould into typical 'pear' shape naan.
10. Here?s the tricky bit. If you bake then too long they lose their soft chewy texture. Once the oven is up to temperature I turn it down a notch until the element or flame goes out and then put the naans in. I think this somewhat simulates a hot tandoor without subjecting the naans to direct heat. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes. You can keep checking them as it?s not like you actually want them to rise so opening the oven door ocasionally for a brief moment won't hurt. Finally I finish them under a hot grill for a few seconds to give them that nice browned look. You?re supposed to brush them with ghee or butter to serve but I never do.