What's the best thing about going to your favorite Indian restaurant? Correct! It's the naan, that warm garlicky bread they bring out with the meal. What could be better? Parts of the bread are crisp, other parts chewy, there is the perfect amount of char, and it's always fresh out of the tandoori.
This is a great version of this Indian staple that you can make at home without investing in a tandoori oven. I have made this a bunch of times, and it turns out great. The whole wheat pastry flour adds a bit of nuttiness, and the yogurt lends a nice richness to the dough. Make this the next time you whip up a curry, or use this recipe to make my naan bread pizza.
Whole Wheat Naan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast
1/4 teaspoon Maldon salt
3/4 to 1 cup 2% Greek yogurt
The dry ingredients go into the food processor with the dough blade already in place. Turn the processor on and spoon in the yogurt until the dough clumps into a ball and rolls around the bowl. (You may not use the whole cup of yogurt.) Stop the processor, grab the dough, cut it in half, and then cut each half in half again to form four pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Cover dough with a large bowl, and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Place pizza stone on the upper-middle rack of the oven. Turn the broiler on medium high and preheat for 20 minutes; this sounds strange, but it mimics the effect of a tandoori oven. Using all-purpose flour to prevent the dough from sticking, roll each dough ball out into an oblong shape that is about 12 inches on the longest side. Pull out the rack containing the stone, place dough directly onto the pizza stone, push the rack back in, and shut the oven door. Allow each bread to cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the top is blistered and brown. Remove naan from the oven. Brush with garlic butter (1 tablespoon melted butter with 1 large clove minced garlic) and sprinkle with Maldon salt and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
