Garlic Naan

Garlic Naan is one of my favorite leavened breads. It’s soft, fragrant and delicious, especially when paired with Indian cuisine dishes or as a snack on its own. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 500 g of wheat flour (type 00 or bread flour)
• 7 g of dry yeast or 20 g of fresh yeast
• 250 ml of lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons of natural yogurt
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• Chopped fresh coriander (optional)
• Clarified butter (ghee) or melted butter, for brushing

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water with sugar and let it rest for 5-10 minutes, until it starts to foam.
2. Add the sifted flour, yogurt, oil, and salt. Begin kneading until you have a smooth and elastic dough. If necessary, add a little more flour or water.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and continue to work it for about 8-10 minutes.
4. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
5. After rising, divide the dough into ball-sized pieces.
6. Heat a non-stick pan or a grill over medium-high heat.
7. Roll out each ball of dough into an oval or round shape about 5 mm thick and sprinkle with the chopped garlic (and coriander if you wish).
8. Cook each naan for about 2 minutes per side, until bubbles form on the surface and the naan turns a nice golden color.
9. Brush each naan with clarified butter or melted butter as soon as you remove them from the pan.

If you want to add an Italian touch, you can use extra virgin olive oil instead of butter for brushing the naan as soon as they are cooked and add chopped fresh rosemary together with the garlic.

Trivia

Naan is a staple in North Indian cuisine and differs from typical Western breads in its soft and slightly elastic texture. Adding yogurt to the dough is a secret that helps to give this characteristic softness.