Fluffy Naan Loaf (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dough

01 - 1 3/4 cups of plain or bread flour
02 - 1 tsp fast-acting yeast
03 - 1 tbsp granulated sugar
04 - 2 tbsp full-fat milk (or reduced-fat is fine too)
05 - 30g (2 tbsp) melted unsalted butter or ghee
06 - 1/2 tsp kosher or regular salt
07 - 1 1/2 tbsp beaten egg (about half an egg, brought to room temp)
08 - 1/2 cup warm tap water (roughly 40°C/105°F)

→ Toppings

09 - 2 tbsp (30g) melted butter or ghee
10 - A small clove of garlic, optional for garlic butter
11 - Fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped (if you like)
12 - Nigella seeds, optional shake

→ Cheesy Option

13 - Grated cheese of your choice (like cheddar, colby, Monterey Jack, or any variety that melts)

# Instructions:

01 - Mix the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a little bowl. Cover the top with some cling film and let it sit for about 10 minutes. When it's frothy, it’s ready to get your naan to be softer and puffier.
02 - In another small dish, stir the egg and milk together until it’s smooth.
03 - Put the salt and flour into a big bowl and sift them together.
04 - Make a little hole in the middle of the flour. Pour in the bubbly yeast mix, along with the melted butter (or ghee) and the egg-milk combo. Use a spoon or spatula to start combining, then switch to your hands to bring it all together into one dough ball—there’s no kneading needed just yet.
05 - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm area for an hour or a little more until the dough has doubled in size.
06 - Put the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Slice it into six pieces, then form smooth balls by tucking the edges underneath each portion.
07 - Dust a plate or tray lightly with flour. Lay your dough balls on it, sprinkle them too, and loosely drape a kitchen towel over the top. Let them puff up for around 15 minutes for a noticeable size increase.
08 - Take one of the risen dough balls and flatten it a bit with your hand. Then, with a rolling pin, roll it into a thin circle about 3–4mm thick and roughly 16cm wide.
09 - Put a cast-iron skillet on the stove and heat it until it’s really hot—you should just see faint wisps of smoke. To oil it lightly, wipe the surface with a paper towel dipped in a tiny bit of oil.
10 - Gently lay the rolled dough in the skillet. Let it cook for about 1–1.5 minutes, until you see a golden base with darker, smoky blisters and bubbles forming on top.
11 - Flip the bread and let it cook for about a minute, so the bubbles now take on the same golden color with charred spots as the other side.
12 - Pull out the cooked naan, brush on melted butter or ghee, and repeat rolling and cooking for the rest of the dough. Watch the heat to keep the pan from getting too hot.
13 - Once the naan is cooked, coat each piece with melted butter or ghee (or add garlic butter if you made it). Sprinkle on coriander or nigella seeds if you'd like, and enjoy while it’s still warm and fluffy.

# Notes:

01 - If you can, stick with bread flour—it makes the softest naan! All-purpose flour is fine too.
02 - To whip up garlic butter, stir together 2 tbsp melted ghee or butter with 1/2 tsp crushed garlic. Let it sit for a few minutes to soak up the flavor before using.
03 - To prep ahead, after the first rise, put the dough in the fridge and keep it there for up to 24 hours. Let it warm up for at least 2 hours before cooking.
04 - To make a cheese-stuffed naan, pile about 1/4 cup of grated cheese in the middle of your rolled dough. Pull the edges up like a pouch and seal it, then flatten the dough again to about 6–7mm thick and cook.

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