There is nothing quite as delicious as homemade naan bread. Surprisingly, this recipe is so easy that kids can make it on their own. We once went out to a restaurant on vacation with fresh naan bread, and we thought it was so good that we skipped the rest of the dinner. There is something so delicious about a warm, buttery, fluffy bread. When we returned home we begged Mom to buy some from the store, but we were so disappointed in the taste and texture. It was just too hard and dry.
Can Kids Make Homemade Naan Bread?
Last week we were rummaging through our pantry looking for something to eat (as we always are.) We came across this little recipe book for our food processor that had a delicious picture of homemade naan bread. Time to experiment.
This recipe was very easy. We put together our yeast and warm water as usual and allowed it to bubble. It was a bit surprising to see Greek yogurt in the dough recipe! We decided to substitute with our homemade yogurt as that is what we always have handy since we make vats of it at a time.
Why is Flour Everywhere?
When it came time to pour the flour, there was such a disastrous mess! Mom walked in and gasped. I know I am a kid and everything, but usually, I can pour flour without making the kitchen look like it just snowed. Turns out, there was a sneaky hole in the flour bag. Yikes.
After letting it rise for an hour, we pulled it out and started making our dough balls. This was not as sticky as some of the other dough that we have experienced. Make sure to cover them with a damp towel as they rise for another 20 minutes. Otherwise, they will get a small crust on the top after a few minutes.
We thought about using our tortilla press for these, but after our experience with our flour tortillas, we thought it might be just as easy to use a rolling pin.
We hoped they would not fall apart on the cast iron griddle like our corn tortillas, but they were much more like pizza dough and started bubbling up right away.
When when we pulled them off, we brushed them with melted butter, cilantro, and garlic.
Creating a Greek Charcuterie Board
We thought that it would be fun to put together a Greek charcuterie board for dinner, even though technically we learned that Naan bread is from India. We included our homemade tzatziki sauce, along with our favorite Kalamata olives. To appease Mom, we even added some cucumbers so we had all our bases covered.
Or so we thought, then she threw on some grilled chicken. We have to admit, even that tasted good with our naan bread.
How Kids Can Make Homemade Naan Bread
We always double this recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Warm Water (Around 110 F)
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt, or Homemade (See Above)
- Pinch of Salt
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro
- 3 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
Instructions
Add yeast, sugar, and warm water to electric mixer with a dough hook and allow to rise for 10 minutes.
Add flour, yogurt, and salt and mix until dough pulls away from the sides.
Cover dough and allow to rise for an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Remove from bowl and cut into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and cover with a damp towel. Allow to rise for another 20 minutes.
Prepare butter spread by melting butter and adding pressed garlic and cut cilantro. Set aside.
Roll each ball of dough into 1/4 thick oval shapes. Heat a saute pan, or iron griddle to medium heat. Use oil if needed. Cook each piece for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Brush with butter mixture.
Notes
Adapted from Ninja Test Kitchen