Topic: UB's Naan Bread v2

[JerryM]

Tamala,

this is one that needs trying out to appreciate what's happening.

i must admit i was very sceptical (as you point out it's not conventional at all in terms of bread making) but now i am totally sold.

i'm no master baker (of course) but i make pizza dough and bread all the time. i know that kneading is very important but we (home cooks) have to accept we've not got the equipment and therefore need to improvise somehow.

what i do know is that with this recipe there is no need (sorry pun - i did like yours so could not resist) to knead. the high proportion of water has the effect of making the finished "bread" very soft. it also makes it very very sticky.

what mr clever (UB) has stumbled on is a way of dealing with the stickiness and get a top notch product - hence the pat a cake trick and throw the rolling pin away.

i too got very ugly (the dough only wants to stretch in 1 direction making the thing long and narrow not pear shape) shapes but the family were totally sold on the taste (much better than the KD recipe).

during the "throwing" of the naan from hand to hand i added a sprinkling of extra flour to keep the surface from sticking - the aim is to keep the inside volume wet/sticky but the outside floured just enough for the pat a cake trick to work.

as UB says we now just need to develop our pat a cake skills.

Tamala i would much appreciate your thoughts on the use of self raising flour - i find this adds a sort of sconey aftertaste whereas using plain flour with bicarb does not - is this right.

[SnS]

Dough!  Lighten up!  "Prove it" was supposed to be a pun and a joke UB!  :

I got it!  ;D

and the other two!

[SnS]

I tried these tonight - minus the yeast. I also added a tsp of kalonji seeds.

Are kalonji seeds the same as onion (nigella) seeds or is there a difference?

[Unclebuck]

Dough!  Lighten up!  "Prove it" was supposed to be a pun and a joke UB!  :

I got it!  ;D

and the other two!

yep got it... arh back to bed for me 

[Unclebuck]

Tamala,
this is one that needs trying out to appreciate what's happening.
i must admit i was very sceptical (as you point out it's not conventional at all in terms of bread making) but now i am totally sold.
i'm no master baker (of course) but i make pizza dough and bread all the time. i know that kneading is very important but we (home cooks) have to accept we've not got the equipment and therefore need to improvise somehow.
what i do know is that with this recipe there is no need (sorry pun - i did like yours so could not resist) to knead. the high proportion of water has the effect of making the finished "bread" very soft. it also makes it very very sticky.
what mr clever (UB) has stumbled on is a way of dealing with the stickiness and get a top notch product - hence the pat a cake trick and throw the rolling pin away.
i too got very ugly (the dough only wants to stretch in 1 direction making the thing long and narrow not pear shape) shapes but the family were totally sold on the taste (much better than the KD recipe).
during the "throwing" of the naan from hand to hand i added a sprinkling of extra flour to keep the surface from sticking - the aim is to keep the inside volume wet/sticky but the outside floured just enough for the pat a cake trick to work.
as UB says we now just need to develop our pat a cake skills.

Thanks jerrym, as always a full and constructive post - LOL I particularly like this bit "mr clever"  ;D

[Unclebuck]

Hi SnS.

"Are kalonji seeds the same as onion (nigella) seeds or is there a difference?"

There the same mate CA puts these in his naan also.

click pic for wiki info

[Unclebuck]

opps deleted me own post :

[joshallen2k]

Let me clarify my experience with the stickiness. The dough itself in the bowl is very sticky, yes. But following UB's note to oil the hands and "heavily" flour the surface before flattening the dough, the naans before going on the tawa/skillet are not sticky at all. Rather they are mostly dry and very pliable.

My local BIR has a glass window that patrons can see into the tandoor area where the naan and tikka are made. When I see them preparing naan, they are very clearly as soft and pliable as UB's. The "throw between the hands technique" seems well-suited to a softer dough. In fact these are the only naans I've been able to really utilize that technique with. Most others are too hard in texture that I've resorted to rolling or pulling into shape.

From that perspective, I'd say these are quite BIR.

SnS - yes kalonji=nigella=wild onion seeds.

J

[Tamala]

Let me clarify my experience with the stickiness. The dough itself in the bowl is very sticky, yes....From that perspective, I'd say these are quite BIR.

No, the dough (in British Indian Restaurants at least) is not sticky at this stage.  You really dont want them gooey inside or with loads of loose flour stuck to the outside (though I take the point about not kneading the dough too much)

Check out the Balti Kitchen videos that were on here somewhere I think (Ray Graham posted them yonks ago).

But hey!  If youre happy thats all that counts!

[joshallen2k]

Definitely not gooey inside, nor does the little extra flour at the flattening stage cake the outside.

As Jerry mentioned, you really need to try them to appreciate.

J