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British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Starters & Side Dishes => Starters & Side Dishes => Breads (Naan, Puri, Chapatti, Paratha, etc) => Topic started by: joshallen2k on January 24, 2009, 11:23 PM
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I posted a few days ago that I had finally succeeded in making restaurant naans without a tandoor. I made them again a couple of times since then to prove it was no accident.
Thanks to Unclebuck (who I blatantly plagiarized much of the core ingredients from) and JerryM (who suggested the quick-rise yeast).
OK here goes: Josh's Restaurant Naan Bread
REQUIRED TOOLS:
- a Quality pizza stone (must have)
- good oven that can get really hot (mine goes to 600F/315C)
INGREDIENTS:
2 cup plain flour
1 cup self rising flour
0.5 Tsp of "Quick Rise" yeast (do not use regular yeast)
1 Tsp kalonji seeds
1 egg
0.5 Tsp salt
0.5 Tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter ghee (homemade is a must, do not use jarred)
225ml warm water
1 cup milk
Additional butter ghee for brushing
METHOD
1. Sieve flours, add yeast, baking powder, salt, sugar, kalonji and mix in bowl
2. Whisk egg, milk, ghee.
3. Add warm water to flour mix and hand mix for about 15 seconds
4. Slowly add egg, milk, oil mixture, little at a time. You will probably need to add only half of the mix. Do this step quickly after adding the water, or the mix will be lumpy.
5. Mix and knead with your hands until the dough is smooth, and no longer sticks to your hands or the bowl. This takes about 5 minutes.
6. With your hands, rub ghee on the dough ball. Cover dough with a damp towel, and rest for 2 to 3 hours (room temp) it will double in size.
7. After 2-3 hours, punch down the dough and split into 4 balls. Knead and roll the divided dough into 4 balls. Cover again with damp towel and rest for 30 minutes until you are ready to cook.
** Put the pizza stone on the middle rack and pre-heat the oven to MAX temperature **
8. Rub some ghee onto your hands and place one dough ball on a side board (rub with ghee so it doesn't stick to the side board). Add garlic, coriander at this point (optional)
9. Press dough flat on the sideboard, and push and stretch until dough has stretched to thickness of 1 - 3 mm, and it is about a foot in diameter. Sprinkle top side with a tiny amount of water (this will help blisters to form)
10. Open the oven and pull out the rack with the stone on it. Quickly peel the dough off the sideboard (should come off easily if you rubbed it with ghee) and slap onto the pizza stone, with the side that you sprinkled with water down. Immediately close the oven.
11. After about 90 seconds, open the oven and check the naan. When brown spots form on the top, it is ready. No need to flip. Remove with a spatula and place on a plate. It should come off the pizza stone very easily. Brush with butter ghee and cover plate with foil.
12. Repeat for the other three naans.
I will post pics next time I make these.
-- Josh
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This sounds really good, I look forward to pictures next time.
How long do you have to heat the pizza stone?
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Until full temperature at least. I left it in for about 45 minutes.
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Here are some pics. Do try this method, you will not be disappointed!
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Looking good Josh 8)
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CORRECTION based on the input from Cory Ander.
I took his advice and omitted the 0.5 tsp of baking powder. This method doesn't need it and the result is even better. Softer naan.
Thanks CA!
-- Josh
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I made this tonight and it was wonderful. I accidentally used corn starch instead of baking powder ::) but it still turned out great. I'll definitely make it again.
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Hi Rebecca,
Glad it turned out well! Did you use the pizza stone and maximum oven heat?
Oh, and per my last post - delete the baking powder. Its way better without.
-- Josh
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Hi Josh,
Just come across this and gotta say, those naans look amazing. Now, I'm not a lover of naan bread, much preferring chapatti or paratha, however, I do like thin crispy ones, when used as a wrap.
I really want to try these out but I haven't got a pizza stone. I googled alternatives to pizza stones, and a few things came up. Terracotta tiles, tavas and one that grabbed my attention from Jamie Oliver, a granite chopping block (which I have) I'm just a bit nervous though because I don't know if my chopping block has been polished or glazed. If it has been polished, great, no problem but if it has been glazed, then the glaze will contain lead, which will transfer to the naans at full temp.
I suspect that it has been polished as the underside is dull but would anyone know for sure?
Ray :)
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Razor,
quarry tiles are good - as thick as you can get - ideally need 25mm or as close to
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Hi Jerry,
Thanks for the suggestion. I would have thought a quarry tile to be as, if not more expensive than a pizza stone? The pizza stones I've seen on the net are about 15quid
Any thought on my granite chopping block Jerry?
Ray :)
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That is one sexy looking Naan Bread Josh!!!
Good Job!! :)
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976,
It's an awesome looking naan, and the photo just makes me want to give this recipe a go.
I think naans are on the 'group testers' list next, if I'm not mistaken?
Ray :)
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Ray,
I always use this recipe for my naans and use a Tawa to cook it with excellent results. It produces a delicious light naan equal to most restraunts and better than most.
I dont know how it compares to other naan recipes on this website as i have not tryed them as this recipe exceeds what i was expecting to achieve at home.
i bought a pizza stone a couple of months ago but have not used it yet.
the tawa does a good enough job for me
regards
Alan ;D
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Hi Al,
Out of interested, how much did you pay for your stone mate?
Ray :)
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?12 quid off Amazon Ray.
Al ;D
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A month or so ago Morrisons were doing pizza stones at a fiver, i bought 1 and it is excellent for pizza, not tried a naan yet though.
Will
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Razor I've got a granite chopping block too and didn't think it could be used like a pizza stone - not sure if it's the right kind either now though!
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Hi Steve,
I searched it out on the net and it was a jamie oliver suggestion although he did say a granite TILE but Im thinking, what's the difference apart from the thickness?
Ray :)
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Hi Ray,
The pizza stone I bought from a local "Kitchen Stuff Plus" - I'm sure there's something equivalent in the UK. It was about $15.
The key is to get the oven as hot as possible. Mine goes to 600 degrees fahrenheit, and the naans cook in about 2 minutes - I'm sure close to a tandoor.
The recipe I use exactly as stated, except omit the additional baking powder.
-- Josh
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Hi Josh,
Just checked my oven and it seems that the max setting is 250c which equates to 482f.
Will this be hot enough? Hope so, I would really like to give these naans a try. They are without doubt, the best looking naans on cr0 but I'd love to actually taste one.
I think when we get all the onion bhaji results in, and Chris publishes them, naans are next on the agenda. So, If you don't mind, I would like to put your naans forward for the group test, but if the heat is crucial to their success, I don't know if all the testers could achieve that kind of temp with their ovens?
Ray :)
Ray :)
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Razor,
give the granite a go. although i have a piece i never got to try it - down to the amount of heat mass that i wanted. the granite i have is about 10mm thk where as the tiles are just over 20mm. the tiles are cheap.
on material i understand granite to be just as good as most.
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Hi Jerry,
I think I will give it a go, mines about 25mm thick, my only dilema is, is it probable that the granite is glazed or polished? Glazed is not good, as it will contain lead and once heated up, it will transfer to the naan.
Polished on the other hand will be just fine ;D Just hope it doesn't shatter :o
Ray :)
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Glazed is not good, as it will contain lead and once heated up, it will transfer to the naan.
I've been using a thin sheet of aluminium foil in between my granite sheet and naan bread. I figure that 0.00001mm or whatever of fast-conducting aluminium is not going to cause an issue for heat conduction to the base, so I prepare the naan on the aluminium foil and then lift it on to the pre-heated granite slab. This would serve to prevent any contact between naan and risky glaze and it also makes it easy to remove the foil and bread after cooking.
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I figure that 0.00001mm or whatever of fast-conducting aluminium is not going to cause an issue for heat conduction to the base,
Ah, but what about 0.012mm of the same foil, George, which is what my trusty 1" Moore & Wright tells me ours is :)
** Phil.
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Just checked my oven and it seems that the max setting is 250c which equates to 482f.
Will this be hot enough? Hope so, I would really like to give these naans a try. They are without doubt, the best looking naans on cr0 but I'd love to actually taste one.
I think when we get all the onion bhaji results in, and Chris publishes them, naans are next on the agenda. So, If you don't mind, I would like to put your naans forward for the group test, but if the heat is crucial to their success, I don't know if all the testers could achieve that kind of temp with their ovens?
Ray - I'm really not sure how much bearing on the end result the oven temperature actually would have. I just baked them at as high a temp as possible to most closely mimic the conditions in a tandoor. But definitely give them a try with your oven as is.
If naan breads are up for group testing, I'd surely like these as part of the test. I have made a few minor tweaks to the recipe, so I'd like to repost the changes before testing.
Cheers,
Josh
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Hi Josh,
Thanks to George's confirmation, I decided to give my granite block a try. I set my oven to 250c and placed my block on the middle shelf. I let this heat up for a good hour.
Although I really need to brush up on my naan making skills, I think for a first effort, they turned out really good.
I think next time, I will roll the dough out to about 5ml thick, as I went too thin this time, and the naans turned out crispy in places, still, the taste was bang on.
Many thanks Josh, good recipe.
Granite block heating up,
(http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff484/rayob/DSCF1403.jpg)
Finished naan brushed with garlic and coriander butter.
(http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff484/rayob/DSCF1404.jpg)
Ray :)
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Razor, you mentioned in a previous post that you were unsure if using your granite block was safe - did you resolve this dilemma?
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Hi Stephen,
Razor, you mentioned in a previous post that you were unsure if using your granite block was safe - did you resolve this dilemma?
I figured that my granite block was polished rather than glazed, so I went for it, and it worked a treat.
Ray :)
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Hey Razor i will be making these using my pizza stone next weekend, for your garlic and coriander butter do you have a quick recpie you use for it and do you just brush it on as soon as you take the nan out?
Cheers
Garry
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Hi Gaz
for your garlic and coriander butter do you have a quick recpie you use
Very quick,
3 tbsp of butter or butter ghee
1 tbsp fresh chopped coriander
1 tsp of G/G paste
Bang in the microwave for 30 seconds
Stir
In microwave for another 30 seconds
Done!
Seeeemples ;D
Ray :)
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Granite block heating up
That's a very similar block to the one I've had in my oven permanently for perhaps 5 years. I've lost count of how many things - bread, pizzas, naans, etc - have gone directly on to my granite slab (no foil, most of the time). The granite hasn't cracked and I haven't suffered any ill effects.
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Hi George,
Seems to have done the job. Just need a bit more practise with the naan making but I'll get there in the end.
Ray :)
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Razor,
well pleased for you. nice piece of granite too.
you know your now on the slippery slope to pizza.
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Ray,
that naan looked bang on for me i dont like them too thick and stodgy.
I use Joshs recipe all the time mate andfind the taste and freshness is spot on.
think i will use my pizza stone next time now after seeing yours.
Alan ;D
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What's the difference between 'quick rise' yeast and regular yeast? As far as I can tell there doesn't seem to be any standardised definitions. There seem to be three main types of bread yeast on the market, fresh yeast (comes in a block, needs to be disolved in warm water), dried yeast (also needs to be disolved in warm water, with something to feed on, like a bit of flour or sugar), and then there seem to be different products (all with different names by the looks of things) which are dried yeast with various addatives that don't need to be proved in water first (is this what you are refferring to?). All I have is 'McDougalls Fast Action Bread Yeast', I'm not sure wether this qualifies as dried yeast, or quick-rise yeast (it contains Ascorbic Acid and Calcium Sulphate, not sure if either of these are rising agents though).
I've never had much luck making Naan's before, going to try this recipe tonight, hopefully I'll have better luck. I have a pizza stone, but my oven only goes up to 230 C (I'm very happy with the pizza's I make, so hopefully it'll do the job).
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Your McDougalls Fast Action Yeast is the same thing as quick rise. Principally, it cuts the prove time from roughly half to a third of that of Active Yeast.
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What's the difference between 'quick rise' yeast and regular yeast?
both are dried yeast. the quick rise (IDY Instant Dried Yeast) can be added in powder form direct to the flour. the regular (ADY Active Dried Yeast) needs "activating" in water before adding to the flour.
i feel the regular produces a better "yeasty" flavour ie closer to fresh yeast
the quick rise is stronger ie needs less than for the regular
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Your McDougalls Fast Action Yeast is the same thing as quick rise. Principally, it cuts the prove time from roughly half to a third of that of Active Yeast.
This recipe calls for a proving time of 2-3 hours, that seems a little excessive, especially if the quick-rise yeast is supposed to save time there.
When I make pizzas using this yeast it usually takes my 1/2 cup of flour 1st proof half an hour to double in size, then the final dough doubles in size after around an hour.
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I've just made the dough for this now, the recipe seemed far too wet for me, not sure why you say to use a cup of milk and then say you'll probably only need half of it. I used less than half of the milk-egg-ghee mixture and the dough was still far too wet, I added enough plain flour to bring it up to almost sticky/very elastic after kneeding for 5-10 mins. It's prooving away now, and the ovens heating up, looking forward to trying it out soon.
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Hi Caze,
not sure why you say to use a cup of milk and then say you'll probably only need half of it
As you will know, bread making is not an exact science. Many factors influence the amount of liquid required such as temperature, humidity and so on. I think that Josh's is giving this quantity just to cover these variances and to get the mix ratio's correct.
I've made this naan and probably used just over half of the mixture. Got to say, they turned out great.
How do you intend cooking them Caze?
Ray :)
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How do you intend cooking them Caze?
I cooked them on a pizza stone in the oven at it's highest temp (it was on for nearly 2 hours before they went in), unfortunately I don't think my oven is quite good enough to get these exactly right, it only goes to 230c.
They turned out a lot better than my previous efforts, but they were still some way off resteraunt quality.
The main improvements were with the softness, but ideally you should have a uniform softness, mine were a bit overcooked and hard on the outside, but quite nicely done inside. I'm sure this was solely down to my oven temperature, I might try switching the grill on once the oven is fully heated the next time (I've a couple of them in the freezer so will try again in a few days). I'd never heard the water-sprinkling trick before, and that definitely helped create some blisters, but as it wasn't hot enough so they didn't brown enough.
The taste was also not quite there, it was close though. This could well have been down to the fact that I used a lot less of the milk-egg mixture in the end, the next time I might use more of that mixture and less of the water.
I was also surprised by the lack of yoghurt, most recipes seem to use it, so that could have effected the taste as well.
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You will never successfully 100% recreate a BIR naan at home unless you install a Tandoor. However, you can get good results. If I may, I think you went wrong when you passed the notion of having a very 'wet' dough. At lower oven temperatures it would seem that you need a very moist dough, to the the degree that it is almost impossible to handle without very floured hands.
The best results I have seen on here are by members who have made 'wet' dough for their naans. Not having such a dough consistency tends to result in a 'baked' bread as you have experienced. I freely admit that I have not tried the 'wet' dough idea. I turned instead, to making Paratha which I decided were just as appetising, especially stuffed. :)
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Hi Caze,
I've tweaked the original recipe quite a bit since I originally posted it.
First I feel the quick rise yeast makes a big difference. As Jerry noted, the regular dry yeast adds a "yeasty" flavour. The Quick Rise does not.
In terms of the changes, I now omit the additional baking powder, and add 2 tablespoons of yogourt. I also now omit the water, and just trickle warm milk into the mixer until the consistency is right.
Josh
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First I feel the quick rise yeast makes a big difference. As Jerry noted, the regular dry yeast adds a "yeasty" flavour. The Quick Rise does not.
Did you see my earlier post regarding what exactly constitutes Quick Rise yeast? I'm not certain whether mine does, but I had no problem with the dough rising, and there was certainly no yeast-like taste. What brand do you use?
In terms of the changes, I now omit the additional baking powder, and add 2 tablespoons of yogourt. I also now omit the water, and just trickle warm milk into the mixer until the consistency is right.
I did leave out the baking powder, will try with yoghurt and milk-only the next time. What kind of consistency are you looking for? Is Axe on the right track with wet dough? I got mine to a very elastic, almost sticky dough.
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Did you see my earlier post regarding what exactly constitutes Quick Rise yeast? I'm not certain whether mine does, but I had no problem with the dough rising, and there was certainly no yeast-like taste. What brand do you use?
I use Fleishmann's Yeast. However I'm living in Canada now, so I don't know if this brand translates back to the UK. Quick rise yeast is pellet-shaped and much smaller than the usual round regular dry yeast.
I found the milk-only and yogurt helped. Initially I went for a wet sticky consistency. This produced good naan but was difficult to work with. Notice my original recipe called for oil to make the finished dough easier to work with. Now I add enough milk to make the dough pull away from my fingers and not leave any behind. I should do a milk% calculation like I do for pizza dough when adding water. I also now use bench flour only when flattening out the naan for the oven, instead of oil.
Hope this helps a bit.
-- Josh
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Just tried this recipe out as my first ever time making nan breads.
I didn't use the oven though, just a heavy frying pan on the hob.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/addy1/SAM_1169.jpg)
I'm quite pleased for a first attempt.