It's fluffy and pillowy, soft and chewy yet crisp and flaky in some spots. It melts in your mouth and is the perfect bread for scooping up delicious Indian curries. Plus, it requires just a handful of simple ingredients.
– Lukewarm water – Cane sugar – Dry yeast – All-purpose flour – Fine sea salt – Baking powder – Grapeseed oil or neutral-flavored oil – Cilantro – Vegan butter – Garlic – Sea salt
Bloom the yeast. Stir the sugar in the lukewarm water until dissolved. Add in the active dry yeast and whisk to dissolve about 15 seconds. Set aside for 15 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy and a bit frothy.
While the yeast is resting, stir together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, sea salt, and baking powder. Once the yeast mixture has activated, pour it into the flour mix and add 1 tablespoon of neutral-flavored oil. Start mixing the ingredients with a fork.
Pour a bit of neutral-flavored oil on your hands to grease them. Transfer all of the dough to a clean work space. Start kneading the dough with your hands. You will need to oil your hands several times during the kneading process.
As you knead, you’ll notice the dough becomes quite sticky. It will stick to the counter and to your hands. Just keep kneading the dough for a total of 4 to 6 minutes. Knead the dough until it is no longer sticky and is instead soft, pliable, elastic, and fairly smooth
Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 pieces. If you want smaller naans, you can do 10 pieces. Use your hands to roll each dough piece into a round. Proof the dough. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and cover with a clean dish towel. Allow to rest for 10 minutes
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a thin oval shape about 8″ long and 5″ wide at its widest, rolling outward and off Sprinkle the naan with a couple of sprinkles of chopped cilantro. Dampen your fingers in some water and carefully pick up the naan. Flip it onto its backside and pat a bit of water all over the backside.
Use damp hands to carefully transfer the naan to the hot cast iron skillet, watered side down. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds, until bubbles puff up all over the naan. Flip the naan and cover the pan to steam the naan for 30 to 40 seconds, then take off the heat and transfer to a plate.