SIMPLE NAAN BREAD

There are several ways of making naan bread. This method doesn’t
use yeast so don’t expect the dough to rise anywhere near as
dramatically as it otherwise would, but it’s still worth spending 10
minutes kneading the first time round for a smooth, springy dough
and a fine end result.
If you want to make the bread in advance, brush the rolled out
naans with melted butter, layer with cling film and keep in the
fridge until you’re almost ready to eat them. The ingredients below
are enough to make 3–6 naans, depending on size (see step 4).
1⁄2 lb+ (250 g) plain flour
1⁄2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄2 mug of milk (approx 120 ml)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Melted butter (approx 1 oz/25 g)
Method
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a large
mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the milk
and vegetable oil.
2. Gradually mix the dried ingredients into the liquid to make a
soft dough, working from the outside of the bowl inwards and
sifting in a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead well for
about 10 minutes. When the dough is soft, smooth, and feels
right, put it into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth
and leave in a warm place to prove for at least an hour until the
dough has obviously increased in size.
4. Knock back the proved dough – punch it down and knead it
thoroughly for a few more minutes in other words – then
divide into however many pieces you want and roll each piece
out individually into an oval or teardrop shape. Keep each piece
of dough at least 1⁄8 in (3 mm) thick. If you roll them out too
thinly the bread will be hard and crisp as opposed to soft and
doughy, so if you want five or six naans, make them on the small
side.
5. Meanwhile, heat the grill on high and warm a large baking sheet
underneath the grill while you melt the butter in the
microwave.
6. Brush each naan lightly with the melted butter and put under
the grill for a minute or two, until the bread bubbles and
browns. (It’s as quick as making toast so don’t go away and do
something else.)