Bread Baking Babes make Naan bread
We Bread Baking Babes begin the new year with and Indian bread chosen by master baker Lynn of Cookie Baker Lynn fame. I love Indian food but I really am afraid of making it because I think you need such a lot of knowledge to make it right. Another reason to why I don’t make it is because I can’t find all the ingredients I need here in my nook of Tuscany BUT we do have a real Indian restaurant in Pistoia that I think is pretty good. Both me and my oldest daughter are big fans of Indian cooking and I am working on the middle son so that we can form a majority here. The silly thing is that I have such a lot of incredible Indian food blogging friends spread all over the world and still I hestitate, it is plain stupid considering all the gourgeous recipes I can find on their blogs. Well, maybe I will dare soon, I am considering ordering an Indian cookbook that Tanna, my fellow Babe, told me about and I hope that will give the final push, just think of all the good things I am missing.
I made plain Naan and they disappeared within minutes, my family showed disquieting signs of primitive behaviour but I am already planning to make more, I will just have to tame them a bit. And practice my nanna making skills as well, I am looking forward to that. If you click over to Lynn’s blog (she will also give you the details of how to be a Bread baking Buddy) or check out the other BBBabes‘ posts, you will find some spicier versions for those of you who are more daring than I am! For the complete list, see here and remember that they might not have woken up yet so if they haven’t posted, there’s a possibility they will do it later today!
Plain Naan
from Paul Hollywood’s 100 Great Breads
- makes 3 naan (which I wonder about – same amount of flour as above, so why half the yield?)
500 g/scant 4 cups white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1-1/2 tsp salt
15 g/1/2 oz fresh yeast
water to mix
1 tsp cumin seeds, I skipped that
1 tsp caraway seeds, and I skipped these too
olive oil for frying
- Line a baking sheet. Put the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and add enough water to make a soft, but not sloppy dough. Add the seeds, then divide the dough into three pieces and put on the baking sheet. Let rest for 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and, using a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a circle, 10 inches / 25.5 cm in diameter, and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat a skillet to a medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Shallow-fry each naan until browned on both sides, then set aside to cool slightly before serving.
I blush to say I love those bejeweled pens!
There’s simply not telling about kids and eating. I know I thought I didn’t want to eat certain foods growing up that I now think are can’t live without.
Beautiful Naan. We really love them with the yellow raisins.
Oh, this looks so good and brings back fond memories of the naan bread at Teaism in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, DC! I love their naan topped with caramelized onion, with cilantro scrambled eggs and tea-cured salmon in a bento box (there is some really great food in the good old USA!).
Should you ever need spices, let me know! Our Naschmarkt’s has practically everything from all over the world. Shipping is not so expensive, so please go ahead and order.
Ilva, its wonderful that you tried Naan!..there are so many recipes for this that one can’t actually point to the authentic and original recipe..But plain Naans can be just plain too..The naan that you made is called Tawa Naan, mostly Naans are baked in an oven called Tandoori, which you must be aware too.
I am so glad hearing that you are trying at converting your son too..
)..
Seeing your interest in learning Indian food, I can suggest you start with simpler dishes that you won’t even think are so easy to make..!..
here, Teaism’s homepage,
http://www.teaism.com/Restaurant/DupontCircleMenu8.html
“Curry lentil soup or Asian Gazpacho” – does that not make you want to try to cook it?
Sorry, me again:
Is there a reason you block links to your commenters’ blogs?
Lovely naan and those pics really ooze the atmosphere. (I used to love those pens and had a little fabric covered diary to go with it when i was 15 or so.)
absolutely not, I didn’t even know it happened!
To add a link to your blog or website, click on the To tab under the box where you write your name, you will get a list of options and one of them should be This Page and there you just add the www. of your site. Don’t use the http:// as it is automatically added.
aha, and what exactly are you implying with that? That I am childish???? or even worse, like a teenager???
These plain naans do look very good. Good to hear that it’s not just here they ate them like a hungry pack of wolves
.
Yes… and the pens are gorgeous!
Thank you for both the link and the offer of supplying me with what I need, very genorous of you!
Thank you so much for your information, it is very kind of you, not to talk about useful for the other readers!
Why blush? I don’t and I even collect them, buy a new one whenever I see one!
Oooh gorgeous naan and this is a much simpler recipe than I’ve seen in the past. I must try it. We all love love love Indian food and good naans! Beautiful photos too.
Lovely naan! That’s great that the family loved them so much. I am looking forward to trying this recipe as well, we really loved the spiced ones.
I love your photos too, gorgeous!
Your Naan is absolutely gorgeous! I’m working up my courage for cooking more Indian food here too!
I made the plain, as well… but yours look thicker…. Hmmmm
I’ll send my hubs over to go to your Indian restaurant. He loves it!
I covet the pens – what a cool thing to collect!
I think it’s really cool that you were able to make naan. Looks terrific and I’m not surprised your family loved it.
I also love those pens in the next photo.
Paz
Oh, the naan bread looks so good.
What can I do to join BBB? I searched Lynn’s site, but did not find a link to follow. Can you help.
Your pictures are very inpiring. Thanks for sharing.
Majology
Mmmmh, can’t wait to try the Babes’ version of Naan. This all looks so yummy!
Hooray, Ilva, for dipping your toe into the waters of Indian cuisine! It wasn’t so scary, was it? I love your beautiful photos, especially the one with the fabulous multi-colored pens. Gorgeous!
Lovely naan, and lovely PENS. (I like them too!)
And do try to cook some Indian food, let me know if I can get you spices or other stuff that you can’t find there!
Ilva,
thank you!
Regarding the spices, I really mean it, let me know!
Concerning the links to other commenters’ blogs, I meant not my own link (which I did not manage to put right either), but that I miss being able to visit your commenters’ blogs. Clicking on their names takes me nowhere anymore!
P.S.:
Oh, I see, you changed the comment form,
now my link works! Looking forward to being able to visit your visitors’ blogs again.
Mille grazie,
hugs,
Merisi
I am happy Ilva that you gave naan a try! This has to be the stove top/Tawa/Skillet version. I have never done this, but will soon give this a try since I am still ovenless (can u even believe that?). Traditionally Naan is made in Tandoor/ the Clay Oven & I am really curious to find out if the stove top one is same or how different. It looks nice and fluffy. Without spice it is perfectly find, I often like them that way.
Beautiful pens!
How much can I reduce the salt in this recipe? I love Naan and would easily eat a whole one, but 1/2 tsp salt is 1/2 daily allowance for we salt-reduced people.
I feel exactly the same as you – love Indian cuisine, but feel intimidated by it. I made naan only once, may years ago, and failed miserably at it. I need to lose my fear and try again
beautiful post, I also love the pens…
一個人就像一個分數，他的實際才能是分子，他對自己的評價是分母。分母越大，則分數的價值越小。..................................................
I have no idea, take as little as you want, I’d say!
I haven’t tried this particular naan-recipe, but I’ve made naan bread at home few times, and have been pretty happy with the result. But if BBB suggest this recipe, then I’m happy to oblige next time
Hope you’r middle one will oblige!!!
Love love love how you take pictures. So who cares you don’t cook Indian food….
just beautiful! makes me hungry…
I loved your pictures. I made the curried naan and my whole family (2 adults and 3 little kids) totally fell in love with it.
Please don’t be afraid to cook Indian food!! It’s not difficult at all and the return is so great. For cookbooks, I’d recommend either A Taste of India or An Invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey. And Mangoes and Curry Leaves Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontinent by Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford.
Your naan look lovely!
Ilva, you must try Indian cooking! It is very time consuming and the ingredients can be difficult for you to find, but trust me, you won’t be disappointed. I have been using Madhur Jaffrey’s book, I cant remember the name, she has recently revised it! Though me knowledge was limited, the food has excellent and now my knowledge is growing. Indiand food is truly one of the world’s great cuisines. I always look at these complicated and exotic cuisines as a challenge. Unfortunately I have four more Indian cookbooks purchased several years ago that I have not used….better get busy!