Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
Naan
Naan is a yeasted flatbread, traditionally made with white flour and cooked on the sides of a clay tandoori oven. These tasty whole wheat naans are oil-ghee-sugar-salt-free and cooked in an oven. While they won’t have the characteristic tandoori blisters nor be as chewy, they are still awfully tasty, much more nutritious, and fun to eat. Decorate with seeds like sesame, white poppy, and nigella.
Prep time 60 minutes to rise plus 30 minutes to mix and knead
Bake time 10 minutes
Makes 8 naan
10 grams (about 1 tablespoon plus 1/8 teaspoon) active dry yeast
2 teaspoons date paste from 1/3 cup pitted dates
3 to 4 cups white whole wheat flour
½ cup Greek-style soy yogurt
1 flax egg made from 1 tablespoon freshly ground golden flaxseed
2 tablespoons whole seeds, like sesame, white poppy, nigella
To make date paste, cover the dates with water and microwave for 2 minutes. Alternatively simmer on the stovetop in a small pot for 5 minutes. Cool the dates with only as much of its soaking water as you need to blend silky smooth in a high-speed blender.
To make the flax egg, mix the ground flaxseeds in 2 ½ tablespoons of water.
In a medium-large bowl add 5 tablespoons warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and after 5 minutes, stir in the date paste. After another 5 minutes, add the yogurt and flax egg. Add 5 more tablespoons of warm water and stir well to combine.
Mix in 3 cups of white whole wheat flour, transfer to a floured board or a standing mixer with a dough blade attached and knead for 20 minutes. The dough will become less sticky as you knead it, but you may need to sprinkle in about 1/2 more flour. After 20 minutes, the dough should be soft and supple with little if any stickiness. Replace in the bowl, cover with wrap or a lid, set in a warm corner for 1 hour, during which the dough will expand.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board. Divide in 8 equal pieces. Return 7 to the bowl and cover to prevent drying. Knead the piece lightly and shape into a ball. With your fingers flatten it into a 4 by 6-inch oven. Lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover with plastic or a slightly damp kitchen linen, as you shape the remaining naan. Using a 1-inch bristle brush, brush the dough’s surface with water and sprinkle on seeds as you like.
Bake for about 8 minutes or until the naan are golden and toasted in places. Remove the baking sheet and place them directly on the oven racks to cook their undersides. Remove in 2 to 4 minutes, wrap in a cloth to keep warm until serving.
