Easy Vegan Naan

Step 1

Combine water, yeast, flour and salt (plus optional oil or yogurt) and mix until dough ball forms. Process for one minute or knead by hand for 5 - 10 minutes, dusting work surface and hands with flour when necessary. If you added oil and/or yogurt, you will need to add a bit of additional flour. Just add it a tablespoon at a time until the dough is manageable.

Step 2

Cover dough and let rise for at least half hour. You may let it rise for an hour or until doubled in size for better results. Or you may store it in the fridge to slowly ferment overnight for more flavour development.

Step 3

Punch down the dough and divide it into 8 - 10 pieces, depending on the size you want.Shape the dough into flat pieces, gently pulling along the whole pieces to stretch out for a rustic look. Or you can roll them flat with a rolling pin. I usually make them about a quarter inch thick. When all of your pieces have been shaped, either cook the naan on the stove OR in your oven.

Step 4

Heat a nonstick pan over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add once piece of dough. Cook for 30 seconds on one side, then flip and cook 30 seconds on the other side. Then flip again and repeat a few times until both sides have nice char marks. Each piece of naan may take a total of 3 to 5 minutes to cook. The first piece usually takes longest, and each piece afterwards gets done faster so adjust your heat as necessary.

Step 5

To cook in the oven, preheat with a pizza stone or baking sheet to 450°F. Then, use a cutting board or pizza peel to place a couple pieces of naan on the stone/sheet. Watch the naan puff up through the oven window if you can! It should only take a 2-3 minutes for it to puff up. Flip the naan; the bottom should have some light browning. Continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the other side is browned too. Remove the naan. Let it cool and sacrifice one of the pieces to check for doneness. Continue with the rest, adjusting the cook time as needed.During cooking, your dough may puff up like a balloon. That's good so the naan will have a pocket like pita bread. But it might not happen either. Which is ok; the naan will still be cooked nicely.

Step 6

Wrap the naan up in a clean kitchen cloth to keep in the heat and moisture. Serve them right away.

Step 7

To store at room temperature, let them cool to room temperature and store in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

Step 8

To freeze, let them cool, place in a freezer bag, press out the air and seal. The naan can be stored this way in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave using 15 second intervals until warmed.