Homemade naan is one of those things that feels like more work than it is. The dough is simple, the cooking is fast, and when it comes off the heat puffed, blistered and brushed with butter, it makes pretty much everything else on the table better.
You can make this in a very hot oven with a pizza stone, but it is at its best on the BBQ, in a pizza oven, or under serious heat where it can puff and char quickly.
Ingredients
- 5 oz hand-hot buttermilk
- 2 tsp white sugar, divided
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 3 1/2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 5 oz plain yoghurt, lightly beaten
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Method
If cooking in an oven, place a pizza stone inside and heat the oven to its highest temperature for at least 1 hour. If using a BBQ, Otto Grill or pizza oven, heat to around 825°F.
Put the buttermilk in a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast. Stir to mix, then let stand for 15–20 minutes, until frothy.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, remaining 1 teaspoon sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir to combine.
Add the egg, yoghurt, 2 tablespoons of the oil and the yeast mixture. Mix until a dough forms.
Knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and satiny. Add the remaining oil to another bowl, place the dough in it, and roll the dough around to coat.
Cover with a warm wet hand towel and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and divide into 6 equal balls. Roll each ball into a thin tear-shaped naan. Make sure each one is very thin, as the naan will puff up during cooking.
Cook in the oven, on the BBQ, or in a pizza oven. Keep a close eye on each naan. When it begins to puff, press it down to release the air. On a BBQ, each side should take about a minute, until browned and blistered.
Brush both sides of each naan with melted butter and serve hot.