Warm, soft naan steams slightly as I slowly rip through its center, releasing fragrant garlic and fennel highlighted by hot butter.
Prep Time: 20 min + 1 hr 40 min proof | Cook Time: 8-10 min per piece | Serves: 4
Garlic and Fennel Seed Naan
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8 oz All-Purpose Flour
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1 tsp Active Dry Yeast
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⅔ cups of Milk – lukewarm, use plant-based for the vegan version
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½ tsp of Sugar
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½ tsp of Salt
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2 tsp of Garlic Granules
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2 tsp of Fennel Seed
Let’s get started
Put flour, garlic granules, and fennel seed in a large mixing bowl. Put sugar and yeast on one side of the bowl, and the salt on the opposite side. Add the lukewarm milk a bit at a time while mixing with a wooden spoon. When a ball begins to form, bring the flour mixture together with your hands. Tip onto lightly oiled surface and knead for 5 minutes, to obtain a smooth and stretchy dough.
Return to the bowl, cover with a clean and dry tea towel, and proof for about 1 hour.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, form spheres, and flatten with your fingertips. Roll out (with your fingers or a rolling pin) to ⅛ thick ovals, cover with the tea towel, and let rest for 40 minutes.
Grease a hot cast iron pan with ghee (or plant-based butter) and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
Serve warm.
Extras and Tips
Typically flatbreads do not require a long proofing time, since their distinguishing feature is to be, well, flat! 1 to 1 ½ hours maximum will be enough for this bread, as the goal is not to get an epic rise, but just some uneven cushiony-ness to to make the naan doughy and flexible enough to allow you to scoop up the curry.
Make sure that the cast iron is very hot. Even when I am perfectly aware that a not-so-hot griddle makes not-so-good flatbread, I must confess that at times I fall victim to my impatience (and hunger) and don’t let the griddle reach the desired temperature, and the results are a sad, undercooked, and very underwhelming naan. So, the moral of the story is: be patient and good things will come to you, as so often happens in life.
