DIY Naan with Fresh Ground Black Pepper

We were introduced to naan while we were visiting Cambria on the central California coast this spring. When we were in the deli department of the local grocery store, we noticed naan and were curious about it. So we bought a package. One bite and we realized how delicious it was.

We were hooked from then on. So when we returned home, we were bound and determined to make it. First we tried a recipe that had no yeast. Although it was good, it was very dense and heavy. So, next we made it with yeast. Huge difference! We were really pleased with the results. It was light and puffy and tasted very similar to the naan we had purchased.

We like to lightly toast it to give it a bit of a crunch. Either way, toasted or not, this is a great recipe. We're adding a bit in the way of technique to help you make it and also omitted the butter, but the original recipe was from allrecipes.com.

SERVINGS: 9 pieces
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
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
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of sugar
4 1/2 cups flour
Fresh ground black pepper

PREPARATION:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in barely warm to the touch water. Stir with a wooden spoon and add a pinch of white sugar. Let stand about 10 minutes until frothy.
2. In a small bowl, beat the egg and add sugar, milk, salt baking soda. Mix with a wire whisk. Add this mixture to the yeast then add the flour. Mix with your hands or a wooden spoon. TIP: Before mixing the flour mixture rub olive oil on your hands to keep the flour from sticking.
3. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
4. Punch down dough, and knead in the pepper. Pinch off handfuls of dough about the size of a baseball and place on a tray. Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
5. Take a dough ball, on at a time, and roll out the dough with your hands and/or a rolling pin until it's about 1/8" thickness.
Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan and when hot, add some olive oil spray. When pan is hot, add the dough and cook about 2-3 minutes per side until each side is a light brown. It will brown in some places but not in others as it is lumpy. Remove from heat and set aside to cool on a plate.

Naan while being shaped and flattened

SERVING:
You can eat the naan with butter, jam, jelly, cheese, hummus or just by itself. We like it lightly toasted.

We even made individual pizzas on it; delicioso!