Naan: No Knead, No Bake

Photograph of serving. (Sorry, I ate them before taking a photo.)

This fluffy, chewy, and elastic bread cooks quickly and requires no kneading.

Makes 12×14cm, 8×17cm, or 6×20cm naans.

Prepare:

  1. In an about 500mL cup, mix, cover, and set aside for 10 minutes to allow it to foam:
    • 30g — White Sugar.
    • 250g — Warm Water.
    • 8g — Instant Yeast.
  2. Put into a large bowl, and form a well in the middle:
    • 500g — Flour.
  3. In an about 250mL cup, mix and warm to melt the fat:
    • 5g — Salt.
    • 75g — Butter.
    • 45g — Milk.
  4. Mix milk mixture into the yeast mixture.
  5. In the smaller cup, lightly beat:
    • 50g (1 large) — Egg.
  6. Add milk and egg mixtures to flour, then mix with spatula (do not knead).

Store:

If not planning on cooking all of this immediately, divide into meal-sized portions and freeze unneeded portions in individual zipper-bags.

Proof:

  1. Use an extra large (for reuse on baking sheet) piece of cling-wrap to cover bowl, and allow dough to rise to about double size (1–1½ hours).
  2. Oil hands, separate dough into individual portions (e.g. 6, 8, or 12), and form each into a smooth ball (e.g. tuck all edges under).
  3. Place on a baking sheet (or countertop), reuse cling-wrap to cover, and allow to rise another 50% (about 15 minutes).

Cook:

  1. With an oiled rolling pin (or with oiled hands), roll a portion into a 3–4mm thick disk (diameter about 14½cm for 12 portions, 17½cm for 8, or 20½cm for 6).
  2. Place disk on very hot, very lightly oiled, cast iron skillet (definitely not Teflon).
  3. Cook for 1–1½ minutes until bottom is browned but not burnt. (Top should develop large bubbles.)
  4. Turn over and cook other side for about 1 minute. (This will create black spots where bubbles were.)
  5. Remove, cover to keep warm, and repeat with other portions.

Serving Suggestion:

  1. Brush tops with Butter.
  2. Sprinkle with Cilantro (finely chopped).

Notes: