Bread Loaf Made From Naan Dough
Bread Loaf Made From Nan Dough
Mamta Gupta
Bread dough here is made like the "Easiest Bread in the World? method by the well respected master baker Dan Lepard, with his kind permission.
The bread loaf available to most people in India is a mass produced, factory bread, which is a rubbery, tasteless, pre-sliced white bread. Even the brown bread is not always a whole wheat bread. It really does not compare to the taste of simple, home-made bread. Hardly anyone makes their own bread in India at present, though many make their own naan and tandoori roties. One of the main reasons for this is that not many people in India have had ovens until now. More and more people now have microwave ovens, frequently with a dual convection oven within. They sometimes use it to make pizzas, but not breads. Try this simple method, it really is easy and you will never want to eat the ready-made bread again! Makes 1 large loaf.
Revised April 2011
Ingredients
For the dough
3 cups or approximately 400 gm. plain white flour or maida.
1 cup or 125 gm. strong flour (bread flour). If you don’t have it, use all plain flour.
1/2 cup or 120 ml. ‘active’ natural yoghurt (dahi)
1/2 cup or 120 ml. milk, hand warm (not hot)* (boil first and then cool-see notes below)
Just over 1/2 cup or 135 ml. hand warm water (not hot) *
(Total liquid 375 ml. approximately. You will need around 350-360 ml. of liquid. Make extra, because different flours need slightly different amounts of water)
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar*
1-1 1/2 level tsp. or one 7 gm. sachet of Instant Active dry yeast*, roughly 1/2 tsp. per cup of flour. Use less yeast if you have more time for the dough to rise naturally or you live in a hot climate.
3-4 tbsp. ghee or oil
*Instant Active Dry Yeast, does not need to be activated/proofed, it can be added directly to the flour.
*Active Dry Yeast This is the yeast more commonly available in India. It has to be activated. Mix milk, water (warm to touch) & sugar in a jug. Sprinkle yeast & 2-3 tbs. of flour (from the measured amount) on top of the water & stir. Ignore lumps.
Instructions
Mix water, milk, yoghurt and yeast in a jug and leave while you get everything else measured, about 15 minutes.
Sift flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and add yoghurt and oil/ghee. Mix.
Add the by now frothy liquid a little at a time and make a soft dough. You do not need to knead it at this time and the dough does not need to be smooth. Leave for 10 minutes.
Oil a work surface and lightly knead it for 20-30 seconds, cover and leave for 10 minutes.
Oil the work surface again and lightly knead it for 20-30 seconds, cover and leave for 10 minutes.
Oil a work surface and lightly knead it for 20-30 seconds, cover and leave for 3-40 minutes.
Sprinkle some flour on the work surface. Place the dough on it and flatten it into an inch/two centimetre thickness, about the length of you bread tin.
Roll it up towards the centre from both sides, see picture.
Now place it in the bread tin seam side down. Cover with a clean towel and leave to rise to double, 40 minutes to 1 ? hour, depending upon the temperature of your kitchen.
Heat the oven to at least 220?C/420?F (200?C/ 400?F in fan-assisted oven).
Sprinkle a little flour over the dough (easier with a tea strainer). Then make a slash through the centre of it?s top, about 1 cm deep.
Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or so.
Reduce the heat to 200?/400?F C (180?C/350?F in fan-assisted oven) and bake for a further 20 minutes until dark golden brown.
Take out from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool.
Note: You do not have to have a bread tin. At step 10, simply place the shaped dough onto a flat tray, cover with a tea towel and let it rise ?free-form?.
