Naan

Naan has always intimidated me.  I tried making it once, when I was living in Florida, and it was a flop.  The bread was hard and not fluffy at all.  I used a different recipe without egg so it's one of the possible reasons it didn't work.  Also, in 2009 I was not experienced enough in the kitchen to attempt such things.  My how things have changed!  What I was making back then was delicious, of course, but much less technical and precise.  Anyway, the only real way to make naan is in a tandoor, right? Well, I'm hoping to prove this theory wrong...because I don't own a tandoor (yet?) but my pizza stone should do the trick.  Plus, I've never flopped a recipe from ShowMetheCurry...well at least not yet.

Yield 8 naan

Ingredients

2 cups (275g) all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

4 tsp oil

1/2 cup warm water

1 tsp yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 well beaten medium egg

2 Tbsp yogurt
Optional toppings:
minced garlic
nigella seeds
minced onion

Directions

1.  Microwave the water and sugar for 30 seconds, then add the yeast and let sit for a few minutes.  If you have fast acting, it should foam.  Today, mine foamed for the first time.  Oh how that made me happy!

2.  Sift together the flour and salt.  Add the oil and gently mix with your hands.

3.  In a separate mixing bowl, beat the yogurt into the egg, then add the water yeast mixture.

4.  Add the flour into the wet mixture a little at a time while kneading.  It should end up as a soft ball of dough.  You can add a few drops of oil to coat the ball so it avoids forming a hard skin while it rises.

5.  Cover with a towel and let it hang out in a warm place for at least 2 hours, punching it down after the first hour.  Mine is hanging out for longer, which is fine too.

6.  When ready, preheat your oven to the highest temperature with the puzza stone inside.  Divide the dough into 8 balls depending on how big you want your naan to be.

Roll each ball out to 1/2 cm thick ovals.

7.  When oven is hot, place the rolled naan onto the pizza stone and cook on the highest rack of the oven for 3-5 minutes without flipping.  They should be golden and bubbly.  Be careful not to wait too long or they will harden.  My first ones did until I figured out the technique.

These were not restaurant style, but good enough to make me do it again.  I think I might have too much Guju blood in me.  I can make a perfect roti... that's good enough for now, right?  I even think roti may have been more appropriate for the meal I served, but shhhh.
My guests loved them and reassured me that they were restaurant quality.