This was an interesting experiment. AND MY VERSION! Naan and Pita are so close in the making and there are hundreds of ways and recipes for each! Naan (flatter) seems to be just thicker than pita (puffier). Naan may have some yoghurt or milk in it, pita will usually not. I use King Arthur Bread Flour which I really, really like. You can experiment with any flour you like, the thickness of the breads, spices and condiments, etc., etc. The directions for this recipe may sound complicated, but they are not. Just be sure to brush the bread with olive oil. It helps the softness and the toppings to stick. Once you make this a few times…it’s a snap!
Naan/Pita Bread
Makes 6-8 pieces
Preheat oven with pizza stone in it @ 400 degrees
3 C King Arthur Bread Flour
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 T sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 C warm water 110-120 degrees
2 T olive oil
1 C warm water
Toppings:
olive oil to brush the bread
kosher salt or a flavored coarse sea salt
garlic powder or finely minced fresh garlic
sesame seeds either toasted or untoasted, either white or a mix of white and black
freshly cracked black pepper
melted butter or warm olive oil
Mix the flour, sea salt and 1/2 T of sugar in a bowl. Add together the yeast and 1/2 T sugar in the 1/2 C warm water and stir. Let that sit for about 10-15 minutes until foamy. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the yeast mixture and 2 T olive oil. Stir together and start adding warm water until the mixture holds together. Bring out onto a counter, marble or board and knead until smooth and elastic. Oil a glass, pottery or plastic bowl and put dough in it seam side up. Turn over until all of the dough is slightly oiled. Cover bowl with clingwrap or foil and wrap in a heavy towel. Sit in a warm place for about 1-3 hours or until dough is doubled in bulk. Punch down and knead a little bit and divide in eight pieces. Roll each into an egg shape and put on a parchment lined cookie sheet and cover with a heavy towel and let sit for about 15 minutes. Roll or pat or stretch each piece out to the thickness you want. The thinner the puffier it gets when cooked. Brush with some olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with toppings on one side or leave it plain. Cook on pizza stone flipping when the underside is brown. Take out of the oven and brush with melted butter or olive oil. Serve warm and soft.
1 Comment
This is an amazing recipe! Really tasty. It’s best eaten fresh out of the oven, so bake only what you need and refrigerate the remaining dough. You’ll love it.
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