Naan Bread

[Cheesefood]

I LOVE naan bread cooked over charcoal or hardwood.

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 1 cup warm water 1/4 cup white sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted


Dissolve the yeast in the water and sugar and let it sit till it gets all sorts of bubbly. If it doesn't, you have dead yeast.

Mix everything together and knead it nicely with your hands and cover with a towel. Let it stand till it doubles in size then punch it and let it rise.

Take some balls of dough and roll them out and throw them on a pizza stone on a HOT grill. You want the stone HOT so the bread cooks instantly. I generally keep the cover open and watch for the bread to get cooked on one side, then I flip it. Probably about 2 minutes on each side.

Tastes AWESOME and goes with everything. Makes a great pizza crust too.

[Marauderer]

Hi Naan, I really appreciate your recipe. I will be trying it out this weekend. I have been making my own bread from scratch for years including grinding my own wheat. I will let you know how it goes

[Royeston]

Cheesefood,

How long does this take from the time you mix yeast, water and sugar, waited and then added the other ingredients and then waited until it has doubled in size and your throwing it on the hot stone?

Sounds tasty!

[Marauderer]

How thick should the dough be before it goes on the grill?

[Rlasky]

I just posted a review of the 1/2" baking steel under the accessories section. No pics, but I have made some amazing Naan bread on it. And to Marauderer, I usually hand stretch it out to as long and wide as I can get it to fit on the rectangular steel. No yeast so it doesn't rise all that much. Just play with it until you find the thickness/consistency you are looking for.

[gcdmd]

If you don't have a pizza or baking stone, a cast iron griddle (comal), or even a cast iron skillet, should work fine, just like for tortillas.

[Danjohnston949]

Hey George, Happy New Years to You and Yours! I have an "OLD" Griswald Oval Cast Iron Griddle that Works Great on My Camp Stove! I've Been Thinking about Using it on the Weber but I need a Tortilla Recipe?
From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

[gcdmd]

Happy New Year to you and yours, as well, Danjohnston949 . I'm glad you asked.


Tortillas

Tortilla - in Spanish means "little cake" although, the Tortilla is one of the oldest known foods to the civilized world, dating back to 10,000 BC. Anthropologist have found in 3000 BC that the Mesoamerican civilizations of the Mayans and the Aztecs did hybridized wild grasses that produce a large nutritious kernels we know as corn.

Tortillas are made from corn meal (maize) or Wheat flour and used to serve with many different Mexican foods that have influenced Tex-Mex and Southwest cuisine. Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes, in 1519, arrived in what is today, Mexico. He found the indigenous Mesoamericans natives had a sophisticated and flavorful cuisine based on native fruits, game, cultivated beans and corn and domesticated turkeys." Below you will find recipes to make both corn and flour tortillas.

Corn Tortillas Yield: 12 servings

When making corn or flour tortillas, divide the dough after it has been thoroughly mixed into small balls about the size of a walnut. Keep the dough wrapped while you work with one piece at a time. The best way to bake the tortillas is to use a cast iron griddle. IF working from an indoor stove, use a griddle that stretches across two burners of the stove or two 12" inch cast iron skillets.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and cornmeal. Add baking powder and salt, and mix together well. Stir in water to form a crumbly dough. Work dough with your hands until it holds together.

On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Divide dough into 10 to 12 pieces. Roll each into the shape of a ball about the size of a walnut. Cover lightly with cloth wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Flatten each piece of dough by hand, then roll into a 8 to 9 inches round.

When using a griddle, have one side heated to medium heat while the other side should be cooler. If using two skillets, first skillet should be near 350^o F while the second cooler approximately 250^o F

Lay the tortilla on the hot side of the griddle or hotter pan. Avoid getting burned by working from left to right, laying the left-hand edge of the tortilla onto the griddle, and gently sweep your hand away

After about a minute on the hot griddle, flip the tortilla over into the cooler skillet.

The center of the tortilla should begin to puff and will be cooked after about 30 seconds to one minute on the cooler pan.
Remove and place hot tortillas on a kitchen cloth to keep warm while you work making additional tortillas.

Note: When using the corn tortillas to make other foods, lightly grease the finished tortilla until pliable. You can fold for making tacos or roll them for other dishes.


Flour Tortillas Yield: 24 servings

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons lard
1 1/2 cups water

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla about 8-9 inches.

Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side.

Place the cooked tortillas in a kitchen towel and cover to keep warm while making the additional tortillas.


TMI?