Most of what Phil and I are doing to get the bakery off the ground is in the background right now, and not the most exciting stuff to post. So here's a glimpse into what we do at home for fun. On Tuesday night we had a big pile of Naan for dinner. Our favorite way to cook it is on an old legless Weber grill that we use as a backyard fire pit. For Naan, we grab wood from the pile of downed tree limbs that we collect from the backyard and make a fire. We let it die down a bit, and then cook the Naan right on the grill. It's fun to make it that way, very natural, and the wood leaves a nice smokey flavor in the bread.
BACKYARD GARLIC NAAN
Ingredients:
1 package (.25 ounce) (12 grams) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 T milk
1 egg, beaten
2 t salt
4 - 4 1/2 cups flour
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter, melted, or 1/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
1: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, garlic, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2: Punch down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3: At the grill, use your hands to form a ball into a little disc. Either lightly oil the grill, or brush butter or oil onto the dough. Place dough on the grill, and cook for 1 - 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked sided with butter or oil, and turn over. Brush cooked side, and cook until browned, another 2-4 minutes.
For a variation, add cheese and veggies to the cooked Naan, place to the side of the grill (not over direct heat), and cover to melt the cheese.
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