Naan Nick Malgieri Recipes

NAAN (NICK MALGIERI)

Steps:

• *You will need a griddle or nonstick saute pan for baking the naan, or a charcoal or gas grill.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the flour, salt, and sugar.
• Whisk the yeast into the water and add to the bowl; use a large rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together.
• Place the bowl on the mixer with the dough hook and mix the dough at the lowest speed for 2 minutes; add in the oil and mix 1 minute.
• Scrape the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it over so that the top is oiled.
• Press plastic wrap against the surface of the dough and let the dough rise at room temperature until it is doubled in bulk, about 1 hour (you may also let it rise in the refrigerator overnight).
• Scrape the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and use a knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
• Round the pieces of dough under your hand to make smooth spheres.
• Place on a floured plate or pan and cover with oiled plastic wrap; let the dough rise for about 1hour at room temperature or about 3 hours in refrigerator.
• To bake the naan on a saute pan or griddle-place the pan over medium heat and cover the pan with a dome-shaped cover at least 10 inches in diameter; let the pan heat while you are shaping the naan.
• On a lightly floured work surface, use your fingertips to press out one of the pieces of dough into a flat disk; then use the palm of your hand or a rolling pin to flatten the piece of dough to an even disk about 8 inches in diameter.
• Uncover the pan or griddle and place the dough on it; cover for 2 minutes and allow to bake; uncover the pan and turn the dough over to bake on the other side for 2 minutes, covering the pan again.
• Remove the baked naan from the pan and cover the pan and allow it to heat for a couple of minutes before pressing out and baking the next piece of dough (baking the naan one a time is time-consuming, but best for flavor and texture.
• To bake the naan on a grill, make a charcoal fire and allow it to burn to a covering of white ash; or preheat a gas grill and set the temperature between medium and high.
• Press out the pieces of dough and place on the grill all at once; if you can cover the grill, do so for about 30 seconds, and turn the naan over to bake for 30 seconds on the other side.
• Naan should be blistery and lightly colored, with a few dark spots.
• To serve: quickly brush the naan with melted butter before serving in wedges with Indian food or any highly seasoned food.