Manageability – Hectic-ish
There’s a lot of breads out there in this big ol’ universe. You got rolls, pastries, artisan and whole wheat, and there’s always Bunny. But sometimes in America it feels like those options are limited. Just walk through the bread section of your Piggly Wiggly and tell me how much Naan you see. Well I say “no more”! Instead, just go home and make Half Baked Harvest’s Herbed Garlic Butter Naan.
This stuff is so fire, my friends. It’s crispy on the outside and warm, while still soft on the inside and not too filling. You also get a ton of delicious flavoring with the garlic herb, and who in the name of hell does not love butter? Peel apart and eat, dip it in your favorite hummus, or stack them up and use them as a really tasty pillow you can eat while you sleep. Unlike some other breads, making naan is a little hectic. It can feel like making a less runny pancake – you can expect your first one to not exactly be your best. Use that cast iron skillet y’all. Just get through it, and on the other side you have a delicious bread to help show off your worldliness. Get out of here white bread, and take that damn bunny with you!
If you don’t like this, then Trick Daddy said it best: you don’t know naan!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (optional)
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk (requirement)
- 1 cup full fat plain greek yogurt (mandatory)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (fundamental)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (important)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (obvious)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (your call… just kidding. Absolutely key)
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted and divided in half
- 2-4 cloves garlic, grated
- 3/4 cup chopped mixed herbs (such as parsley, cilantro, chives, and/or dill)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, honey, and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture begins to bubble on top. Go read a chapter in a book.
- Add the milk, yogurt, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 2-4 minutes. The dough should be sticky. Dust lightly with flour and knead the dough into a ball using your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size, or if not using right away, overnight in the fridge.
- When ready to cook divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a large oval, about 8 inches long and about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, you want the pan screaming hot. [INSERT JOKE ABOUT SCREAMING}. Brush both sides of the naan with half of the melted butter. Drizzle the the skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil, then carefully use a paper towel to wipe the oil around the skillet. Place the naan on the hot skillet, immediately cover with a lid and cook for 1 minute, bubbles will form. Flip and cook, uncovered for another 1-2 minutes, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Remove from the skillet and wrap in a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with the rest of the naan, keeping them wrapped in a towel while you work. Also, whistle.
- To make the garlic herb butter. Melt together the remaining half of the melted butter plus the garlic. Heat over low heat until the butter is lightly browned and the garlic golden. Remove from the heat and add the herbs. Brush the garlic herb butter over the warm naan and serve. These are best served warm, right off the skillet, but leftovers are still delicious. But that’s just one woman’s opinion. Keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.