Grilled Naan Bread

N is for Naan!

This year I'm participating in a bi weekly challenge with some blogging friends to post recipes using all of the letters in the alphabet.  It can feature a food that begins with the letter of the week or the recipe name can contain the week's letter.

I've had my N recipe printed out for weeks and was equally dreading it and excited about it.  I still haven't completely conquered by fear of yeast but I'm getting there. This Grilled Naan from King Arthur Baking Company starts with making a sponge, which sounds more complicated than it is.

In a large mixing bowl you combine flour, yeast and water and then cover it and let it sit for 4 hours. It will get bubbly and smell good.  I actually made mine in late afternoon to bake the next day so it sat out overnight, the recipe says it's okay to sit for up to 16 hours.

Then you add some more flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda and yogurt and knead it until it becomes a smooth, soft dough. I like to do my kneading on a pastry mat, keeps the mess concentrated and is easy to clean up.

Next you divide the dough into 8 portions of about 106 grams each.  You can just eyeball it if you don't have a kitchen scale but seriously, they are relatively inexpensive now and they have a ton of uses.

Place them on a baking sheet or in a 13x9, cover it up and place it in the fridge for 30ish minutes. Of course, Mother Nature decided to foil my plans and we had thunderstorms on baking day so I used my Cuisinart Griddler to grill my naan.

Heat your grill to high. Gently stretch the dough ball out to a 6" oval or circle, like you're stretching a pizza dough.  Brush one side with oil and then place that side down on the grates. Cook it for a few minutes and then use tongs to move it 45 degrees. 

Cook for another minute. Bubbles will start to form and it will puff slightly. Carefully brush oil onto the top and then flip it over onto the grates. 

Let that side cook for another 2ish minutes.  You want it to be golden brown and puffy. It took me 1 or 2 of them to get the right stretch out to the dough but then it was super easy. Once you get the hang of it you can do multiples at the same time.

I stacked mine up after lightly brushing them with melted butter. My carb loving son came around after I'd piled up a few and I let him have the first one off the griddle. Before long he was back asking for another one.

I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out, next time I'll be more careful with sizing. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I served some as suggested, brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper. These were great on their own and also would be nice as a dipper for salsa, hummus or tzatziki. We'll also be using them as a base for pizza and for tacos over the next few days.

Thank you again to Wendy for hosting the 2024 Alphabet Challenge and to the other bloggers for sharing their recipes this week! Check them out using the links down below! You can see all of the recipes I've made for the challenge here- Alphabet Challenge 2024

Grilled Naan

Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal

Ingredients

Sponge

• 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
• 3/4 cup water

Dough

• 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

• vegetable oil for cooking
• melted butter, salt and pepper, optional

Instructions

1. For the sponge: Combine ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Cover the bowl and set it aside for at least 4 hours (or up to about 16 hours), The mixture should be bubbly and have a nice aroma.
2. For the dough: Add the dough ingredients to the sponge mix and knead. Dough should be smooth and soft but not sticky, adding flour or water as necessary.
3. Divide the dough into 8 balls (106g each) on a baking sheet or 13x9. Covered and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Gently stretch each ball until 1/4" thick in either an oval or circular shape.
5. Heat your grill on high. Gently brush the dough on one side with oil then place it oil side down on the grate. Grill for 1 minute with the lid down. Open the lid, rotate the naan 45°, and let it cook another minute. It should form bubbles and puff up. Brush the top side with oil and then flip it over onto the rack. Put the lid down and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and repeat with the rest of the dough.
6. To serve, brush the naan with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Stack the breads to keep them soft.
7. Once cooled, wrap well. Store on the counter for two days; longer than that vacuum seal and pop in the freezer.

Notes

Source: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/grilled-naan-recipe

Don't have a grill? Bake at 450º on a parchment-lined sheet or baking stone on the lowest rack of your oven for 6 to 8 minutes until puffed and golden.

Recommended Products

Cuisinart Griiddler

Silcone Pastry Mat

Escali Primo Digital Food Scale

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Grilled Zucchini & Pesto Pizza

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Flatbreads

Naan

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American

 

 

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