We love naan! It's great on its own, because who doesn't love bread? But it really shines when you use it for sandwiches or with stew. Make cast iron naan today for a great treat!
I love a good rustic loaf of sourdough. Plenty of people have their jar going on the counter so they can make loads of bread and even discard pancakes. Then still other times, you want the little bit more "instant" gratification of using yeast in your dough rather than waiting overnight for your bowl of dough to sour. Enter - naan!
One of the best ways to enjoy naan is using them as sandwich bread. Take some shredded chicken and go ahead and add any sort of veggies and ranch dressing with it. Add Caesar salad on top as a delicious flatbread.
Key Ingredients
Flour - I use organic all-purpose and bread flour interchangeably here. Like say you have a little left in the bag of bread flour, measure that out first and finish with AP.
Yeast - Rapid rise yeast is what allows this to be a no-knead bread.
Sugar - Organic cane sugar is the perfect food for yeast.
Fat - I love the taste of butter in these! You are also gaining fat from egg yolks and whole milk.
How to Make No-Knead Naan
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Let the yeast bloom in warm water with the sugar.
Step 2: Mix wet and dry ingredients separately.
Step 3: Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast and wet ingredients. Stir to a craggy dough.
Step 4: Let the dough come together and rise in a warm spot until doubled.
Step 5: Flatten the dough into a rough rectangle and cut into 12 portions.
Step 6: Roll each portion into a semi-smooth ball and let rest, covered, maybe 15 minutes or so while you heat the pan.
Step 7: Add fat to a hot pan and start cooking! They should bubble up - not quite like a pita but will puff some. Flip and cook again.
Step 8: Remove when done, and then you can brush with melted butter and add sesame seeds if you like!
Tips and Tricks
- You can either cook directly over a hot fire with a layer of grill protection, or you can also cook directly on a bed of hot coals. Either way, vigilance is required because the naan can burn quickly! Use the “hand test”: hold the palm of your hand about 5 inches above the heat source, pull it away before it hurts 4 seconds = med-high heat.
- Feel free to cook these indoors or on your Blackstone. I love that I can cook the entire recipe at once outside on my flat top.
- The butter for topping can stay melted on your "melt" or low burner or straight in the coals if cooking outside.
Don't forget to prepare some homemade tzatziki - I love ripping the naan in smaller chunks to dip in that or in hummus. Got leftover naan? Use it as a pizza crust just like English muffins or French bread pizza. It's also great at helping to sop up every last drop in your bowl when you make soup or stew.
FAQs
Rapid-rise yeast (or sometimes called quick acting) is meant to have just one proofing session and isn't suitable for long ferments. Make sure you purchase this specifically for this recipe! It isn't as shelf-stable as instant or active dry yeast options, so is generally only in the tiny envelopes. Each packet is a little over 2 teaspoons so feel free to use one packet here without measuring.
That's the beauty of using rapid-rise yeast. It works fast and does a lot of the work for you, so you don't necessarily need to work the dough to get the gluten moving.
Yes! I love exploring new ways of cooking. You can't control the heat as easily so you can't walk away from your cooking, but you can absolutely prepare the dough at home and chill in a cooler on your travels. Let rest outside the cooler while you prepare the fire and proceed with the cooking instructions in the recipe card.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
Utilize Your Cast Iron Skillet
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Cast Iron Naan
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour bread flour also works
- ¼ cup butter
- Cooking oil, lard, or bacon grease for pan
Finishing:
- Melted butter
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix yeast with sugar and warm water in a bowl. Cover with tea towel, leave for 10 minutes until foamy.
- Whisk egg and milk together.
- Whisk or sift flour and salt together in a separate large bowl.
- Make a well in the flour, then add yeast and egg mixture. Mix together with a spoon. Once the flour is mixed in, bring it together into a ball. No need to knead!
- Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel for an hour or so to proof and double in size. If you plan on taking camping, the dough can be lightly oiled and wrapped for the next day after refrigerated or kept in a cooler.
- Place dough on lightly floured surface and cut into a dozen similar sized pieces, then work each piece into a rounded ball.
- Proof again on a lightly floured tray, covering with tea towel for 15 minutes or so, until risen another half size.
- Prepare your equipment and heat source for cooking on a griddle or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Flatten a ball on a lightly floured cutting board. Roll out with a rolling pin until naan is approximately 3 mm thick.
- Apply a light coat of oil or fat to the hot skillet or griddle and add rolled out dough. Depending on pan size, you should be able to cook 2-3 at a time.
- Bubbles will form in the dough in about a minute if pan is hot enough. Flip using tongs or spatula to cook the second side after 90 seconds to two minutes total…other side should be golden.
- As soon as the second side is golden brown, remove the hot cake from the pan, transfer to a plate, and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
- Re-grease pan and keep cooking naan flats till done.
Notes
- You can either cook directly over a hot fire with a layer of grill protection, or you can also cook directly on a bed of hot coals. Either way, vigilance is required because the naan can burn quickly! Use the “hand test”: hold the palm of your hand about 5 inches above the heat source, pull it away before it hurts 4 seconds = med-high heat.
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